PACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
471 
membrane may be entirely removed from a portion of the 
stomach, and food be digested without the least appearance 
of any action on the abraded surface. x41so that on parts of 
living animals, such as the hind extremities of a frog and tlie 
ear of a rabbit, being introduced into the stomach of a dog, 
they will become partially digested. He, therefore, believes 
the cause to be the alkaliiiity of the blood, which, circulating 
through the coats of the stomach, neutralizes the acidity of 
the gastric juice. 
j 
Kerosolene. —At page 669, vol. xxxiv, we noticed this 
anaesthetic agent, advocated by the American pharmacists. 
The composition of this hydro-carbon, or rather mixture of 
hydro-carbons, does not seem to be definite, which will mili¬ 
tate against its employment, as its action, consequently, can¬ 
not be depended on. It is the product of the distillation of 
a very bituminous kind of coal, coming over in an impure 
state, when the coal is heated to a temperature of between 
600'’ and 890° Fah., and is afterwards purified by fractional 
distillation over sulphuric acid. Pure kerosolene is the 
lightest liquid known, its specific gravity being only *6346, 
or less than two thirds that of water. It is colourless, has 
little odour, and is so volatile that it may be nearly made to 
boil by holding a small bottle containing it in the warm 
hand. This excessive volatility unfits it for use as a light or 
heat-giving naphtha; but, besides its use as an anaesthetic, it 
is applicable to all the purposes to which benzol is commonly 
applied. The solvent power of kerosolene is extraordinary. 
It dissolves fixed oils in all proportions; resin, wax, and 
cocoa-butter, freely; and mastic, caoutchouc, and iodine, 
sparingl3\ It is miscible with alcohol, turpentine, ether, and 
chloroform; but not with water. This new substance has 
the advantage over benzol of leaving absolutely no odour 
behind, when used to clean woollen or other fabrics from 
grease; but its use in medicine, as a safe substitute for the 
dangerous chloroform, will be, at present, curtailed b)" the 
difficulty experienced in procuring it of a definite consti¬ 
tution. 
