140 POISONS : THEIR EFFECTS AND DETECTION. [§§ 148 , I 49 . 
TABLE OF THE VARIETIES OF NAPHTHA. 
Petroleum Naphtha. 
Shale Naphtha. 
Coal-tar Naphtha. 
Contains at least 75 per 
cent, of heptane, C 7 H 16 , 
and other hydrocarbons of 
the marsh gas or paraffin 
series ; the remainder ap¬ 
parently olefins, C n H 2 n, 
with distinct traces of 
benzene and its homo- 
logues. 
Contains at least 60 to 
70 per cent, of heptylene, 
C 7 H 14 , and other hydro¬ 
carbons of the olefin 
series ; the remainder 
paraffins. No trace of 
benzene or its homologues. 
Consists almost wholly 
of benzene, C 6 H 6 , and 
other homologous hydro¬ 
carbons, with a small per¬ 
centage of light hydro¬ 
carbons in some samples. 
Specific gravity at 15°, 
•600. 
Specific gravity at 15°, 
•718. 
Specific gravity -876. 
Distils between 65° and 
100 °. 
Distils between 65° and 
100 °. 
Distils between 80° and 
120 °. 
Dissolves coal-tar pitch 
but slightly; liquid, but 
little coloured even after 
prolonged contact. 
Behaves similarly to 
petroleum naphtha with 
regard to the solution of 
pitch. 
Readily dissolves pitch, 
forming a deep brown 
solution. 
On shaking three mea¬ 
sures of the sample with 
one measure of fused crys¬ 
tals of absolute carbolic 
acid, no solution. Liquids 
not miscible. 
When treated with 
fused carbolic acid crys¬ 
tals, the liquids mix per¬ 
fectly. 
The liquids form a 
homogeneous mixture 
when treated with fused 
carbolic acid crystals. 
Combines with 10 per 
cent, of its weight of 
bromine in the cold. 
Combines withupwards 
of 90 per cent, of its 
weight of bromine. 
Combines slowly with 
30-40 per cent, of its 
weight of bromine. 
§ 148. Paraffin Oil (kerosene, mineral oil, photogen, etc.) is the chief product 
resulting from the distillation of American petroleum—the usual specific gravity is 
about -802—it is a mixture of hydrocarbons of the paraffin series. It should be free 
from the more volatile constituents, and hence should not take fire when a flame is 
applied near the surface of the cold liquid. 
§ 149. Effects of Petroleum. —Since we have here to deal with a commercial 
substance of such different degrees of purity, and various samples of which are com¬ 
posed of such various proportions of different hydrocarbons, its action can only be 
stated in very general terms. Eulenberg 1 has experimented with the lighter pro¬ 
ducts obtained from the distillation of Canadian petroleum. This contained sulphur 
products, and was extremely poisonous, the vapour killing a rabbit in a short time, 
with previous insensibility and convulsions. The autopsy showed a thin extravasa¬ 
tion of blood on the surface of each of the bulbi, much coagulated blood in the heart, 
congested lungs, and a bloody mucus covering the tracheal mucous membrane. An 
experiment made on a cat with the lighter petroleum (which had no excess of sulphur) 
in the state of vapour, showed that it was an anaesthetic, the anaesthesia being accom¬ 
panied by convulsions, which towards the end were tetanic and violent. The evapora¬ 
tion of 1*5 grm. in a close chamber killed the animal in three hours. The lungs were 
found congested, but little else was remarkable. Much petroleum vapour is breathed 
in certain factories, especially those in which petroleum is refined . 2 From this 
1 Gewerbe-Hygiene. 
2 The vapour most likely to rise at the ordinary temperature, and mix with the 
atmosphere, is that of the lighter series, from cymogene to benzoline. 
