December,  mo™  }         Adulteratiofi  of  Turpentine.  931 
is  even  more  important  to  the  comfort  of  many  people  than  its  mere 
sensation.  But  this  difficulty  is  in  a  fair  way  of  being  overcome. 
The  production  of  what  is  known  as  low-temperature  coke,  or  semi- 
coke,  or  "coalite,"  which  ignites  easily  and  glows  with  little  or  no 
smoke,  is  being  investigated  by  the  Fuel  Research  Board  under  the 
Department  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research,  and  when  this 
fuel  is  on  the  market  at  a  moderate  cost,  and  in  sufficient  quantity, 
the  domestic  smoke  problem  will  be  near  solution.  Meantime 
a  coke  stove  which  can  be  readily  lighted  is  being  perfected  by  a 
Halifax  firm  and  has  the  advantage  of  being  used  as  an  open  stove 
for  warmth  or  closed  for  heating  radiators  or  the  boiler,  or  both, 
and  for  consuming  kitchen  refuse. 
Hence  efficiency,  economy,  cleanliness,  and  comfort  can  be  ob- 
tained to-day  if  we  choose  without  resorting  to  raw  coal,  thus  pro- 
ducing an  enormous  national  saving,  with  the  added  blessings  of 
pure  air,  clear  skies,  and  clean  foliage. 
SIMPLE  TESTS  FOR  ADULTERATION  OF  TURPENTINE. 
Specialists  of  the  Bureau  of  Chemistry,  United  States  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture,  have  worked  out  simple  tests  for  detecting  the 
adulteration  of  turpentine,  as  follows: 
Since  the  individual  purchaser  rarely  has  occasion  and  the  pro- 
ducer is  seldom  in  a  position  to  make  any  extensive  tests  to  deter- 
mine whether  a  turpentine  meets  the  specifications,  it  may  be  stated 
that  the  producer,  knowing  the  purity  of  his  product,  need  examine 
only  to  determine  whether  the  turpentine  is  "standard"  in  color 
and  whether  it  meets  the  specifications  for  specific  gravity  and  dis- 
tillation. Should  the  specific  gravity  at  i5.5°/i5.5°  C,  when 
carefully  taken  with  an  accurate  hydrometer  or  spindle, 'be  between 
0.862  and  0.870  (32.4°  to  30.9°  Be.),  as  is  the  case  with  nearly 
all  American  gum  spirits  of  turpentine,  it  may  safely  be  concluded 
that  the  sample  will  meet  the  requirements  as  to  distillation.  Should 
the  specific  gravity  be  found  very  close  tb  the  limits  of  the  specifica- 
tions adopted  by  the  United  States  Government  (0.862  to  0.875 
at  15.5°  C),  the  sample  should  be  examined  by  a  competent  chem- 
ist qualified  to  test  turpentine.  In  the  case  of  fresh  turpentine 
which  has  not  been  scorched  in  making,  become  oxidized  by  stand- 
ing in  a  tank,  or  been  contaminated  with  oxidized  turpentine,  no 
testing  is  needed.  vSuch  turpentine  will  always  pass  the  specified 
requirements. 
