2  Paraffin,  Gosmoline  and  Vaseline.    { AjAj^vi,  im!™ 
is  termed  by  the  workmen.  After  the  removal  of  the  acid  by  carbon- 
ate of  sodium,  the  oily  mass  is  introduced  into  bags,  made  of  the  ma- 
terial called  duck,  each  of  which  holds  about  three  or  four  gallons.  A 
number  of  these  are  then  placed  horizontally  in  an  ordinary  screw 
press,  being  superimposed  on  each  other  and  separated  by  intervening 
boards.  During  the  summer,  it  is  necessary  to  use  ice  in  order  to 
lower  the  temperature  and  prevent  too  much  loss  of  paraffin. 
The  oil  expressed  during  this  process  has  the  gravity  of  25°  ;  it  is 
known  as  heavy  paraffin  oil,  and  is  an  excellent  lubricator  for  cylin- 
ders. It  can  be  readily  deodorized  and  also  freed  from  unpleasant 
taste,  so  that  it  may  represent  the  softer  variety  of  the  so-called  cos- 
moline. 
The  crude  paraffin,  when  taken  from  the  presses,  is  melted  and  run 
into  moulds.  It  is  now  of  a  light  yellowish  or  straw  color,  rather 
soft,  and  still  strongly  redolent  of  petroleum.  In  this  state  it  is  sold 
to  the  refiners,  who  further  purify  it,  in  order  to  adapt  it  to  the  mul- 
titudinous purposes  to  which  modern  industry  applies  this  valuable  in- 
heritance of  prehistoric  ages. 
The  refiners  subject  the  crude  article,  which  they  designate  as  wax, 
to  powerful  hydraulic  pressure,  and  thus  obtain  therefrom  a  second 
variety  of  paraffin  oil  of  about  28°  gravity.  This  is  also  used  almost 
exclusively  as  a  lubricator.  The  residue  is  further  purified  by  treat- 
ing it  with  a  variety  of  gasolin  or  benzin  of  definite  density,  which 
is  specially  prepared  for  this  purpose.  Steam  is  also  called  into  requi- 
sition in  order  to  completely  deodorize  the  product. 
Two  varieties  of  pure,  white  paraffin  are  manufactured,  namely,  the 
ordinary  hard  article  having  an  apparently  crystalline  structure,  and 
another  having  a  softer  and  more  gelatinous  consistence,  which  is 
termed  gum  stock,  and  is  chiefly  consumed  for  chewing-gum.  Some 
of  the  refiners  consider  these  two  products  as  separate  and  distinct 
bodies,  and  state  that  they  cannot  convert  either  of  them  into  the 
other.  One  single  refining  establishment  in  this  city  is  reported  to 
find  a  market  for  an  average  production  of  these  substances  to  the 
extent  of  10,000  lbs.  per  month. 
Among  the  more  important  applications  of  paraffin  in  our  neighbor- 
hood may  be  enumerated  its  use  for  laundry  purposes ;  when  added 
to  starch,  it  imparts  to  it  an  additional  lustre  in  the  same  manner  as 
spermaceti  or  white  wax.  It  has  been  found  to  be  an  effective  pre- 
servative of  wood,  and  large  quantities  are  consumed  in  this  industry. 
