The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-07-19
Coal Tar.

In 1885, Runge, a German chemist,
succeeded in distilling from coal tar a
substance which produced beautiful
blue color on treatment by chloride of
lime. Later on Professor Hoffman,
was able to dlstlll at different degrees of
heat number Of different substances
which. by a variety Of treatment, yield
ed different beautiful shades of color,
and in 1857, Mr.. W. II. Perkin. of
England, devised method by which
this distlllatIon, which had previously
been an affair of the laboratory, could
be carried on so as to be commercially
profitable. The first products of this
work were seized upon with avidity, as
they were found admirably adapted to
take the place of animal and vegetable
dyes. The work, once started, was
rapidly followed by a succession of able
and practical chemists. The effect Of
their discoveries was speedily shown in
the enormous reduction that took place
in the price of the manufactured color
ing matter. Thus, at the outset, this
aniline was sold at the rate of about $S
per pound, but by degrees that price has
been reduced to 60 or 70 cents per
pound in Europe, while the price of
coal tar has been increased from so
cents to SIS per ton.
But it is not alone In the utilization Of
coal that the effect of this discovery has
been probably displayed. 1t has In a
very few years brought about a revolu-
tion in agricultural industry. 1t is only
few years ago that the cultivation of
madder formed one of the important
industries in France. 1t was of this
substance that most of those dyes were
made Of which red forms the basis. But
the discovery and the cheapening of the
price of aniline colors has brought about
the enforced abandonment of this in
dustry. The hundreds of thousands of
acres that were formerly used in grow
ing madder have now been turned to
other purposes. The merchants who
made the sale of this article their chief
occupation have been forced to seek
other branches of employment. In a
less degree the same holds good of indi-
20 and cochlneal, and even quercltron
and safflower. Indeed, it is predicted
that the time is not far distant when the
importation of indigo from India will
be completely checked by the chemical
production of similar article derived
from coal tar.
But it is not only in the coloring
branch of industry that.sclentiic deve-
lopment has taken place. The chemist
has been able 10 dlstil from the same
substance some of the most delicate es-
sences and perfumes. Vanilla, bitter
almond, strawberry, raspberry and other
extracts can now be obtained from this
source quite as readily as from the fresh
fruits themselves, while present resear-
ches would seem to indicate that the day
is not far distant when almost every
class of known perfumery will be OBJ
tanned from the same source, and per-
haps many of which no one now living
upon the world has any conception. 1t
may be asked how is it possible to OBJ
tain so many different substances from
this one article-coal tar. This is a
question much more easy to ask than to
answer. The best scientific workers
seem to be almost at loss 20 furnish
an explanation, and their experiments
haye been almost always directed, not
in some well-defned manner, but by
chance discoveries, testing the product
Of dlstillation at various degrees of heat