4  Paraffin,  Cosmoline  and  Vaseline.   { AMhu!AK*874.CB* 
near  to  a  hot  stove.  On  a  larger  scale,  a  hot  water  bath  would  of 
course  be  much  preferable,  particularly  as  the  slightest  excess  of  heat 
seems  to  redevelope  a  coal  oil  odor.  A  portion  of  the  color  and  all 
the  adhering  mechanical  impurities  were  thus  removed.  The  paraffin 
ointment,  which  is  so  obtained,  resembles  cosmoline  very  closely  in- 
deed, having  a  similar  color,  consistence  and  melting  point,  being 
quite  inodorous  and  perfectly  bland  to  the  taste. 
The  preparation  of  the  animal  charcoal  consisted  in  washing  it  with 
a  five  per  cent,  solution  of  carbonate  of  sodium,  warming  it  repeatedly 
with  a  large  excess  of  hydrochloric  acid,  and  then  percolating  with 
water  until  all  the  acid  was  removed.  When  dried  it  was  found  to  be 
reduced  to  one-fifth  of  the  original  weight. 
The  above  process  can  also  be  applied  to  the  paraffin  oil  of  25° 
gravity,  which  is  obtained  in  the  first  expression  of  the  crude  distil- 
late. The  melting  point  of  this  oil  may  be  altered  to  almost  any  de- 
sirable point,  by  adding  to  it  some  of  the  gum  stock  or  softer  variety 
of  paraffin,  which  is  preferable  to  the  hard  on  account  of  remaining 
homogeneous. 
The  attention  of  the  last  meeting  was  directed  by  Mr.  Shinn  to 
another  similar  preparation,  euphoniously  called  Vaseline.  Although 
I  have  so  far  had  no  opportunity  of  examining  this  "  Essence  of  Pe- 
troleum," I  infer  from  the  contents  of  a  letter  in  my  possession,  that 
paraffin  ointment  may  also  be  safely  substituted  for  it.  Mr.  Robert 
A.  Che^sebrough,  the  inventor  and  patentee  of  vaseline,  advises  me 
as  follows :  "  The  article  called  cosmoline  is  an  infringement  of  our 
patents,  and  its  manufacture  or  sale  renders  the  parties  making  or 
selling,  liable  to  us  for  damages."  Such  being  the  case,  we,  as  good, 
law-abiding  citizens,  are  furnished  with  an  additional  reason  for  re- 
fusing to  dispense  cosmoline,  and  for  recommending  paraffin  ointment 
in  place  of  it. 
I  would  state  in  this  connection  that  I  have  remitted  to  the  Com- 
missioner of  Patents  the  necessary  fee  for  obtaining  a  copy  of  Mr. 
Cheesebrough's  patent.  Still,  I  feel  firmly  convinced  that  the  asser- 
tion contained  in  an  advertisement  of  vaseline,  which  was  transmitted 
to  me,  is  literally  true,  namely,  that  "  There  is  no  wonderful  ingre- 
dient in  it  known  to  no  one  but  the  proprietor.  It  is  simply — Pe- 
troleum." 
