The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-11-25
THE WONDERS OF PETROL
EUM.

EtM.
In every department Of the chemi
cal industries the eagerness for the
utilization of waste is most apparent
An industry closely allied to it in the
chemical trades is that of the multi
farious products now obtained from
coal tar This industry is a compare
lively young one, and every year
brings some new development of it
Thirty years have scarcely passed
since one of those so-called happy &C
cidents occurred, when the discovery
Of aniline purple or mauve dye was
made during a scientific research for
artificial production of quinine. 1t is
somewhat strange that at that time SO
little should have been known of the
chemistry of coloring matters, but
since then research has gone on pro
ducing results of wondrous yet
perplexing nature Now that every
color, and almost every tint of the
rainbow have been successfully OBJ
tanned from coal tar, the technical
literature of the subject is keeping
pace with the new discoveries which
are constantly being made.
That coal-tar product should find
demand among pharmacists, far
mers, as well as in surgery and dye
ing, is remarkable. but such is the
case with naphthaline, one of the
latest manufactures from coal tar A
German chemist has discovered that
one of the most striking characters
tics of naphthaline is the fact that it
is not injurious to man and the higher
animals, whether breathed as gas OF
used in substance externally or in
ternally, while it has a very different
action on the lower organisms, both
animal and vegetable. such as fungi.
insects, etc, for they are not able to
endure tie action of the gas for any
length of time These, however, are
the very properties that good anti
septic ought to possess. 1t is now
used as protection against moths by
fur dealers and others, and is also use
full in Kidding houses of other insect
pests For destroying that minute
insect known as phylloxera, so trouble
some to grape vines, it has been found
exceeding " useful.
That a sweetening agent should
come from coal tar Will be a surprise
to many, but such is really the case.
By a novel treatment of one of the
cOmponents of coal tar a compound
may be obtained possessing very SINH
lar sweetening properties 10 the best
cane or beet-root sugar. This saccha-
rine presents the appearance of
white powder, and crystallizes from
its acqueous solution in thick, short pri-
SINS soluble In warm water Saccharinc
forms salts, all of which possess a very
sweet taste, and physicians are look
ing to this product as a substance by
means of which diabetic persons may
enjoy food which has hitherto not
been safe from them. SO various anG
complex are the discoveries Of new
products from coal tar that they are
perfectly bewildering, and no sooner
have we become accustomed to one
new product than another is an
nounced. 1t is greatly to be regretted
that the country which gave birth to
this new industry should be to
large extent now losing it; but such
is the case.
Many are the commercial uses OF
petroleum refuse, and these are con
stantly becoming more numerous
and more universal. This utilization
is not by any means confined to the
American oil regions, is being carried
on in similar way in the Scotch OF
trade The change that the sediment
or parattrn Tndergoes in its transfer
nation to vaseline, petroline, and
other product, is most wonderful.
Still more wonderful, however, is the
Transformation of the dirty refuse of
the petroleum into the paraffin or ozo-
kerite of commerce, for which an i'm
mense trade has sprung up.
No fairer substance ever sprang
from more unpromising parentage
than the snowy, pure, opalescent wax
which comes to light out of the bad
smelling dreg of the petroleum still
From this wax we obtain candles, and
it has multiplicity of other uses
1t is alike imprevious to acid and to
moisture. Even sulphuric acid has
er, and for preserving metals from
rust it is invaluable Insulated cleo
trio wires owe their fitness for con
Quoting the subtle fluid to the pre-
sence of this wax Confectionery
owes some of its beauty and consist
ency very often to it, so that a pro
duct taken from the dirtiest of tars
finds its way to the mansions of the
rich in a variety of ways. The floors Of
rooms may be polished with this wax
1t is used again largely in the making
of the waxed or waterproof paper in
which cutlery and hardware may be
wrapped as they go in transit from
manufacturer to tradesman, and SO be
preserved from rust; and the makers
of wax flowers initiate nature in sheets
of wax obtained from petroleum re
| fuse.
Even then we have not loy any
means exhausted the uses Of this pro
duct Considering that the first oil
well in Pennsylvania was drilled only
twenty-seven years ago, it will be seen
how rapid has been the application Of
| petroleum refuse to commercial uses.
Yet prior to 1859 the existence Of this
great boon to civilization was unsus-
pected, and it lay in the depths Of
the earth where it was stored by an
all-wise Creator.
DRUNKENNESS, or liquor habit, can be
| can be cured by administering DR.