ON THE PRODUCTION OF FURFUROL. 
337 
to another vessel, constructed in the same manner, of wood 
Hned with lead, and furnished with a closely-fitting cover 
which could be made air-tight by luting. A pipe convey- 
ing steam passed to the bottom of this vessel, and there ter- 
minated in a flat coil perforated with numerous holes. A 
second pipe inserted in the cover, communicated with a con- 
densing worm abundantly supplied with cold water. The 
joints of the apparatus being secured, the steam was admit- 
ted, and the distilled liquid, to the extent of six hundred 
gallons or more, collected in a suitable receiver. This liquid 
was a weak solution of furfurol. On re-distillation two or 
three times repeated, until more water came over, the fur- 
furol began to separate as a heavy, yellowish oil, and by a 
repetition of this process, the whole was eventually pro- 
cured : the ten cwt. of bran yielded about one gallon o^" 
crude furfurol, or 7-28th part. Wheat starch-maker's re- 
fuse, or "grains/' treated in a similar manner, yielded very 
pure furfurol. 
On repeating this operation on a very much smaller scale, 
I found it to succeed equally well. The distillatory vessel 
was replaced by a common stone-ware jar closed by a large 
cork, which held the mixture of bran and acid ; steam was 
admitted from a small boiler by means of a perforated coil 
of pewter pipe resting on the bottom of the jar, while the 
vapours were conveyed away by another pipe to a conden- 
ser. Sixty-four troy ounces of bran, thirty-two ounces of 
oil of vitriol, and an equal bulk of water gave about one 
ounce of furfurol. Two gallons of liquid were collected, 
and redistilled many times in the manner above pointed 
out; the first half only being received, until all the oil was 
separated. A third gallon contained very little of the oil, 
showing that it is unnecessary to collect more than about 
half a gallon of liquid for each pound of bran employed. 
A number of experiments were next made with a view 
of discovering, if possible, the nature of the substance pre- 
