ON THE ADULTERATION OF 
CREOSOTE. 
Ill 
ART. XXVI.— ON THE ADULTERATION OF CREOSOTE BY 
ALCOHOL. 
The " Revue Scientifique et Industrielle," published by M. 
Quenesville, contains the following article, which we think 
should be brought to the notice of our readers. 
The solubility of Creosote in alcohol, affords the fraudulent 
dealer a good mean of adulterating this article. The strong 
odor of creosote does not, in fact, allow that of the spirits to 
be recognised. There is only one point by which the eye 
may distinguish its falsification, and that is the greater or less 
viscidity of the liquid. We are, therefore, obliged to examine 
the liquid, if we wish to arrive at certainty with respect to 
its purity. 
Nothing is more easy for the chemist than the separation 
of alcohol from creosote; for creosote being more dense, dis- 
tillation in a retort will suffice to isolate the alcohol as the first 
step; then the flame of this latter being high and clear, and 
not low, white and smoky, like that of creosote; the ease with 
which the liquid may be tried by the hydrometer; the odor 
of alcohol, although marked by a little creosote, is easy to re- 
cognise : besides, the fluidity of the products are sufficient 
characters. But we now write for the benefit of the pur- 
chaser, who has neither the time nor facility for these mani- 
pulations ; he requires a prompt mean by which he may be 
able to indicate its presence in every case, and besides, have 
the advantage of not wasting the article. 
Creosote, when pure, should mark on a hydrometer for acids 
8° or 9°, at the ordinary temperature of 12° to 15°, C. What- 
ever it may want of this, is due to admixture. Creosote is 
sometimes found in commerce, so light that the alcohol hy- 
drometer only will mark its degrees. This article is readily 
purified; it is only necessary to distil and examine successive 
portions of the product which passes over, to have the resi- 
