105 
anthracene. One of the chief difficulties in its prepara- 
tion is the fact of its great solubility in its liquid homo- 
iogues at a moderate temperature, thus an oil, at 40° 
or 45° F. will yield a comparatively large quantity of 
anthracene by filtration, but if its temperature be raised to 
70 or 80 degrees, the anthracene will be completely dis- 
solved. 
I am aware that it has been proposed to distil soft pitch 
so as to obtain the volatile products that are given off in 
coaking it, but the expense, difficulty, and danger of such 
an operation are such that I doubt if they can be overcome 
so as to produce anthracene of comparative purity on a com- 
mercial scale. 
Papers have been published respecting the identity of the 
alizarine produced by the process of Messrs. Meister, Lucius, 
and Co., with natural alizarine, by Dr. Schuncb, Professor 
Bolley, and Messieurs Emile Kopp, Camille Koechlin, La 
Fraisse, G. Wallace Young, and J. Christie. The opinions 
of these chemists vary. Dr. Schunck and Professor Bolley 
consider it identical, the other gentlemen considering it not 
identical, some of them maintaining it to be a mixture of 
purpurine and alizarine. 
The product made according to the patents mentioned I 
have not had an opportunity of examining, nor have I seen 
any papers on the subject in any of the Scientific Journals 
which have reached my hands; but as doubtless it will 
shortly be before the public, I shall take an early oppor- 
tunity of laying before the Society the results of my own 
experience as well as those of others. 
In conclusion, I think many years must elapse before 
artificial alizarine can replace madder and its preparations 
in all their varied applications in calico printing, but ere 
long the purity of the substance, artificially obtained, may 
prove of great service to the calico printer, by enabling him 
to produce at a cheaper rate than now certain styles of 
prints as well as new styles and effects. 
