250 ON EXPLOSIONS IN CHEMICAL LABORATORIES. 
ART. LV. — ON EXPLOSIONS IN CHEMICAL LABORATORIES. 
By Dr. A. Buchner. 
The occurrence of explosions in pharmaceutical labora- 
tories, is usually the consequence of some neglect in the pro- 
cess of distillation ; thus in rectifying ether, the most frequent 
causes of explosions are air-tight closure of the apparatus, 
the'employment of too high a heat, insufficient refrigeration 
of the receiver, or the escape of ether vapour, which ming- 
ling with atmospheric air, forms an explosive mixture, 
which becomes ignited by some burning body. 
Likewise in the distillation and preservation of other 
very volatile and combustible liquids, such as spirit of wine, 
the various kinds of ether and volatile oils, similar accidents 
have happened from like causes. 
In a pharmaceutical laboratory in Saxony, the operator, 
in rectifying turpentine by means of a copper still, had for- 
gotten to pour water into the still. A short time after the 
fire had been lighted, a violent noise was heard in the still, 
and whilst the operator was endeavouring to ascertain the 
cause of it, the still-head was blown off with a loud report^ 
and the escape of the greater part of the oil, by which the 
operator and two other persons were much scalded. In 
this case, the receiver had been probably fixed air-tight to 
the refrigerating tube. 
A similar accident happened in another laboratory : a 
strong flaming fire had been applied under the still, and the 
operator left the place for a few moments. In a very short 
time the whole laboratory was enveloped in flames ; the 
vapour of the oil of turpentine had been formed more rapid 
ly than it had been condensed ; an escape in consequence 
took place, and the unconfined vapour became ignited by 
the fire under the still. 
In another pharmaceutical establishment in Saxony, an 
explosion was caused by pouring naphtha from one vessel 
