7 
SCIENTIFIC AND OTHER NOTES ON ESSENTIAL OILS. 39 
consists of old pine stumps or parts of pine tree trunks, also of pine trees which 
have been tapped “dead”. This distillate is called resinous essential turpentine oil, 
furnace turpentine oil, stump or block tar. 
In the manufacture of turpentine oil four principal districts have to be considered. 
The northern region comprises the governments of Archangelsk and Vologda, especially 
between the river-courses of the Vaga and the northern Dvina. Here but little Sierny 
turpentine oil, but chiefly furnace turpentine oil is obtained. The production in the 
Vaga districts is estimated at about 100000 poods (1 pood — 36 Ibs.) of turpentine oil, 
which is produced mostly in small distilleries (home industry) by about 10000 people. 
The north-eastern region includes the governments of Viatka and Perm, where along 
the navigable rivers and the railway lines much turpentine oil is produced in small 
private distilleries; about 3500 people are said to be occupied in this work. The 
central region includes the governments of Vladimir, Kasan, Kostroma and Nishni- 
Novgorod; medium-sized concerns are working the State as well as private forests, 
especially along the course of the river Volga. In Kasan it is said that about 
2500 people are engaged in turpentine oil manufacture. In the north-western region, 
Kind includes the governments of Vilna, Vitebsk, Volhynia, Grodno, Kovno, Minsk and 
Mohilev. Here turpentine oil is produced in private forests, chiefly along the railway 
lines, less so along the banks of the river Niemen. The district Borissov in the 
government of Minsk is said to produce about 300000 poods annually. Besides these 
principal districts there are other governments in Russia which take part, though in 
a minor degree, in the turpentine oil production. In the Caucasus, in Siberia and in 
Poland a little is obtained. In Finland, however, the industry is but little developed. 
The total production of turpentine oil in the Russian Empire is estimated at about 
11/2 million poods annually, of which about 800000 poods are exported. 
In the production of turpentine oil') by dry distillation, iron vessels are used. 
A charge amounts to 2 to 2*/2 cubic arshin (1 arshin — abt. 28 inches), the yield 
being from 3 to 4 poods of a reddish oil of inferior quality from 1 cubic sashen 
(abt. 10°/4 cubic yards) of raw material. The Vologod still produces somewhat better 
results. Its capacity is from */4 to °/4 cubic sashen, the yield being 31*/2 to 7 poods. 
This still is almost exclusively used in the North, as well as in Siberia. An improved 
form with internal boiler is largely used in the northern Dvina district. The Viatka 
still furnishes a product containing a considerable amount of tar, the loss being about 
60 p.c. upon rectification. The rectified oil is of dark colour and bad smell. The still 
holds */s to */4 cubic sashen, yielding about 12 to 14 poods. In the north-western region 
the cylindrical still of 1 cubic sashen capacity is used, the yield being about 12 poods. 
It produces a somewhat better turpentine oil than the first-named construction. A 
good product is obtained with the Sushilky still, the so-called dry still, which is met 
with in the southern region (government of Viatka). It holds 11/2 cubic sashen and 
supplies about 12 poods of rectified oil. With a still worked in the southern districts 
of Viatka, and which represents a combination of the north-western with the Sushilky 
still, an excellent turpentine oil is produced. It shows a laevo-rotation of 26 to 30°, 
contains considerable quantities of low-boiling parts, does not smell unpleasantly after 
repeated rectification and is colourless. 
The author examined more than 50 Russian turpentine oils of different ways of 
manufacture and points out that it is erroneous to suppose no good oil could be 
*) The designation “turpentine oil’’ for a product obtained by dry distillation must be avoided; it can 
here be a case of “pine tar oil’ only. 
