38 
Journal of the Mitchell Society. 
[ May 
at many stills, of kerosene sufficient to keep the output at its 
former figures. The most prominent producers then led the 
fight for “ pure spirits ” laws and in the largest producing 
States effective legislation on this subject has been enacted. 
Similar laws have recently been passed in New York State. 
Mineral oil constitutes the chief adulterant of spirits of 
turpentine. While such an addition may not materially lower 
the solvent power, it diminishes the oxygen carrying power 
directly in proportion to the amount present, since American 
petroleum is composed almost wholly of saturated hydrocar- 
bons. So skillful has become the art of adulterating with 
petroleum products that detection by the ordinary physical 
tests can be evaded if the adulterant is not present in too great 
quantity. But by polymerization of the ter penes with con- 
centrated sulphuric acid, Herzfeld’s method, adulterations 
even as low as one to two per cent, can be detected with cer- 
tainty. Especially is this true if after successive polymeriza- 
tions the oils, distilled with steam, be examined with the re- 
fractometer, as recommended by McCandless. 
No discussion of spirits of turpentine would be complete 
without embracing that form now legally designated as “wood 
spirits of turpentine.” It is no new thing that a volatile oil, 
various heavy oils and charcoal can be obtained by destructive 
distillation of “ fat lightwood.” More than forty years ago 
extensive plants for such distillation were in operation in North 
Carolina. But the low price of spirits of turpentine made 
these financial ventures unsuccessful. A few plants continued 
operations on a small scale, but the matter dropped out of 
public notice for a long while. With the recent rise in price 
the subject was again agitated. By the aid of clever promo- 
tion, by the exhibition of actual results obtained, but from 
raw material above average richness, by frequent reference to 
latter-day success in saving and utilizing by-products and 
finally by that sweet vision of pestiferous stumps removed 
from the cotton rows, great enthusiasm was raised, and at 
one time unlimited capital was available for destructive dis- 
