— 123 — 



course, while those of the crude turpentine oil from wood distilled by steam 

 more closely approached in their character the curves above described. 



Geer considers the advantages of his method to lie in the use 

 of the more considerate method of steam-distillation, of the principle 

 of dephlegmation, in the application of the graphical method of 

 expressing numerous data, which especially suitable for purposes of 

 comparison, and finally in the application of a principle which has 

 been followed with success in the practice of distillation on a large 

 scale, and which according to his view can also be applied to the 

 refining of oil of turpentine. 



It would not be without interest to determine how, according to 

 this method, which in reality does not contain anything that is new, 

 but which places known properties into relation with one another, 

 mixtures of pure turpentine oil from gum behave towards other 

 "turpentine oils", and especially towards adulterants such as spirits 

 of rosin, and fractions of mineral oils. 



The complaints which are frequently heard in the United States 

 as to increasing adulteration of oil of turpentine have induced the 

 United States Department of Agriculture (according to an American 

 periodical 1 ) to invite a legal decision as to whether adulteration of oil 

 of turpentine can be proceeded against under the Food & Drugs Act, 

 in view of the fact that oil of turpentine is to some extent used 

 medicinally. This intended proceeding by the Government is based 

 upon the observation that for more than a year samples of oil of 

 turpentine obtained from the stocks of the producers as well as of the 

 first-hand buyers and wholesale and retail traders, were in fact found 

 to be more or less adulterated when officially examined. The exam- 

 ination of the samples from the turpentine producing States gave the 

 following results: — 



Producers' goods Pri b > Wholesale and 



m yards primary d retail dealers 



buyers ® goods 



No. of samples drawn 64 40 7 6 



No. of adulterated samples ... 3 9 19 



Percentage of adulterated samples . 5,0 22,0 25,0 



Percentage of adulterant .... 2,9 1,6 5,6 



Outside the turpentine producing States the condition of the samples 



was as follows : — _ . ■ ' , 



Primary Wholesale and 



buyers' goods, retail dealer's goods. 



No. of samples ... 5 115 



No. of adulterations . . — 31 



Percentage of alterations — 2J 



Percentage of adulterant — 9 



*) Oil, Paint & Drug Reporter 75, No. 10, p. 9, 8 th March 1909. 



