334 ON MINERAL OILS AND THE MINJAK LANTOENG OF JAVA. 



as limpid as water. Mr. Gregory was tlie first to point out the identity of 

 this substance, formerly designated by M. Christison under the name of 

 petrolene, with the paraffin of Eeichenbach. 



This paraffin has received the name of Belmontine, from the, name of the 

 locality in which the manufactory is situated. It is the well-known in- 

 gredient of the stearic candles of Price's Candle Company. In that estab- 

 lishment the oil is distilled by steam ; a mixture of hydrocarbons, having 

 a density of - 827 to O'86'l, and boiling between 211 deg. and 270 deg., 

 separates without a trace of paraffin. This has been called Sherwoodole, 

 and was recommended by the late Dr. Snow as an anaesthetic ; it is also a 

 solvent for caoutchouc, and can replace benzole for removing grease stains. 

 The heavier oils are called Belmontine oils ; they can be purified with 

 sulphuric acid, a substance resembling asphalte separating. Distillation 

 above 221 deg. C. yields paraffin oils, which crystallise on cooling. 



The pure paraffin has received the name of Belmontine. It is very 

 remarkable that its fusing point is 60 deg. C, whilst paraffin prepared from 

 Boghead fuses between 42 deg. and 48 deg. C, and that prepared from turf 

 at 47 deg. C. We particularly notice this difference, since an error has 

 arisen on this subject among recent writers who have noticed the account 

 of M. Wagenmann, engineer at Neuwied (Dingier, * Polytechn. Journal,' 

 clii. 312) : this author published the notes of his visit to the manufactory 

 of Price's Patent Candle Company. He commenced by calling the manu- 

 facturer •' Belmont," and then proceeded to say that Belmontine fused at 

 28 deg. C. M. Wagner, the editor of the German edition of ' Muspratt's 

 Chemistry,' has repeated this error. 



M. Vohl has published the analysis of a mineral oil brought from the 

 East Indies (probably from Rangoon). The density was 0*885 at the 

 temperature of 14 deg. C. (' Dingler's Journal,' cxlvii. 394). Distillation 

 and rectification produced — 



40-705 per cent, of photogene, or oil of 0-830 sp. gr. 



40-999 per cent, of gazogene oil for lubricating machinery. 



6-071 per cent, of paraffin fusing at 60 deg. C. 



4-600 per cent, of asphalte. 



7-610 per cent, of loss. 



The author includes among the substances constituting the loss the 

 creosote and carbolic acid. There is reason to doubt the presence of these 

 substances in true mineral oil. They have not been detected in the Java 

 oils ; Messrs. Warren De la Rue and Midler have not found them ; also M. 

 Haase, in decomposing the mineral oil of Carpathia, particularly notes 

 their absence. It is therefore an especial characteristic of natural mineral 

 oils, that they contain neither creosote nor carbolic acid. 



The mineral oil of Gallicia, or Carpathia, was investigated by M. Haase 

 in 1859 ; its density was 0-875. After a light, limpid oil, of a density of 

 0-74, was separated, the residue had a density of 0'83. Distillation pro- 

 duced — 



50.0 per cent, of photogene, or oil of - 815. 



33-3 per cent, of solar oil of 0-850. 



