ON  TRUE  AND  FALSE  CREOSOTE. 
539 
sprit  and  ether  it  is  completely  soluble  ;  in  water  little  ;  yet,  when 
shaken  with  water,  it  communicates  itstaste  and  odor,  as  well  as  its 
reactions.  In  sulphuret  of  carbon  it  is  entirely  soluble  ;  on  the  con- 
trary, only  partly  so  in  acetic  acid.  In  solution  of  ammonia  it  is  like- 
wise soluble,  and  somewhat  colors  it,  but  on  the  water  bath  all  the 
ammonia  is  evolved.  Muriatic  acid  produces  no  change  ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  mixes  with  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  completely, 
and  assumes  a  purple  violet  color.  A  splinter  of  pine  wood, 
moistened  with  muriatic  acid,  assumes,  when  immersed,  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  a  blue  or  a  violet  color,  and  chloride  of  iron, 
free  from  oxygen,  produces  not  the  least  blue  violet  coloration, 
which  this  re-agent  does  in  very  dilute  solutions  of  phenyl ic  acid. 
Nor  could  I  obtain  it  crystallized,  although  completely  deprived  of 
water,  when  I  repeatedly  exposed  it  to  low  temperatures.  The 
specific  gravity  of  the  crude  product  ranged  between  1,046  and 
1,049.  By  the  observation  of  its  behaviour  in  high  temperatures, 
with  reference  to  its  boiling  point,  the  following  results  were  ob- 
tained : — At  194  Fahr.  slight  ebullition  took  place.  After  a  de- 
posit had  exhibited  itself  on  the  neck  of  the  retort,  between  140°, 
and  158°,  and  a  milky  turbid  fluid  had  began  to  pass  over,  consisting 
of  water,  with  a  very  fetid  oil  of  a  lower  specific  gravity  than  the 
water,  the  boiling  proceeded  with  a  continued  elevation  of  the  ther- 
mometer, and  became  stronger  at  320°,  but  then  almost  ceased. 
The  liquid  passing  over  between  248  and  325°,  was  now  clear, 
and  possessed  a  peculiar  odor,  differing  from  the  crude  products. 
At  390°  the  boiling  was  again  stronger,  and  now  a  body  distilling 
in  oily  streaks  passed  over  rapidly,  while  the  thermometer  rose  to 
398°,  and  now  remained  some  time  stationary;  after  which  it  rose 
slowly  to  406°,  and  then  until  its  last  portion  was  distilled  over 
to  421°. 
These  relations  show,  what  could  scarcely  have  been  previously 
doubted,  that  the  crude  product  was  a  mixture  of  several  com- 
pounds. The  circumstances  that,  the  greater  portion  passed  over  at 
a  temperature  between  397°  and  406°,  and  that  the  thermometer 
remained  some  time  stationary  at  this  temperature,  which  is  given 
in  works  of  chemistry  as  the  boiling  point  of  creosote,  show  that 
this  portion  is  the  chief  constituent  of  the  crude  material. 
The  next  object  was,  therefore,  the  pure  preparation  and  isolation 
of  the  creosote.  For  this  purpose  a  large  quantity  of  the  crude  pro- 
