Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-18
SOME PRODUCTS OF COAL TAR

SOME PRODUCTS OF COAL TAR.
Goal tar, a by-product in the manufac-
ture of ordinary coal gas, is a wonderfully
complex substance" writes DR.. David
Paterson in Good Words. mo less than
sixty different substances have been dis
covered in ii, and more are being discov-
cred every year.
zone of the most interesting Of these is
benzine-a GEAR mobile liquid discovered
in gas oils by Michael Faraday in 1895. 1t
is used in quantities for the pro-
duction OF ~aniline. and also of q powerful
perfume known as artificial oil of bitter
Almonds or essence of mirbane.' No less
than $50 tons of this perfume are used in
scenting soaps and other toilet requisites.
Benzine has the useful property of dis
| solving fats, resins and India rubber, and
is therefore of much value in the cleansing
of goods by the '~dry-cieaning' method, and
also in the forming of India-rubber solu-
ton SO we'll known TO lovers of the cycle
and the football.
lin 1920 na~phthalene was discovered in
tar by Garden. This is a substance from
! which We derive some of cur most beauti-
full coiors, ranging from a buttercup yell
low on the ona hand to reds, pinks, greens
! and scarlets. To en~tonn.ogists this naph-
thalene is of interest, as it is now consid-
cred the best preservative for cases of
moths, butterflies, insects and other natur-
al history specimens.
In 1892 aGthracene was discovered by
Dumas. 1t is now of immense importance,
as it forms the base from which that beau
tifrl and w~ell-known color Turkey red is
now obtained. From time immemorial this
valuable dye has been derived from the
roots of the madder plant, the coloring
principle of which is called 'alizarin. But
In 1868 two German chemists, Graebe and
Labernann, discovered a method of making
artificial alizarin from the coal-tar pro-
duct anthracene-a discovery which has
completely revolution:zed the dyeing and
cal~ico-printing industries. The excitement
in the dyeing and coal-tar industries was
immense. Anthracene, which formerly was
considered a useless by-product, and sold
at a few shillings a ton and utilized as a
cart grease, Immediately rose in price, and
shortly after this discovery, commanded
something like 500 a ton.
This artificial alzarin has now entirely
superseded the natural product from the
madder plant; and the cultivation of mad
der, which was once a great and flourish
ing industry, has now dwind.ed away, and
In the course OF a few years will probably
be altogether extinct.
'Phenol, or carbolic acid. discovered by
Mitscherlich in 1884, being one of the most
powerful antiseptics and disinfectants,
purifies the atmosphere from noxious gases
and destroys the infectious germs Of dis
ease. Its valuable antiseptic properties
have been introduced into surgery with
great success by the present Lord Lister,
president of the Royal Society. From car
bolic acid is obtained a. valuable series of
coloring matters, ranging from a beautiful
yellow, /. g., picric acid, TO reds, oranges,
browns and many other colors.
THE wonderful substance 'antline' is
found only in small quantities in coal tar,
and its production on a sufficiently large
scale for industrial purposes only because
possible when Zinin, in 1912, showed it
could be made from nitro-benzine or the
artificial oil of bitter Almonds already
mentioned. All the aniline for the produc-
ton of the innumerable beautiful colors is
obtained from this derivative of benzine.
In 1856 DR.. William Fl. Perkin, then a
young man of eighteen, was engaged ex-
perMnenting on anaine with a view TO max
ing an artificial quiniRe. Though his ex-
perimsnts in that direction were a failure,
they were the means of his making the
great discovery of The first aniline color,
namely, mauve, and from these expert
ments has arisen a worldwide industry.
I'm 1858 Prof. A. ". Hoffman discovered
the magnificent color Magenta or anillne
red, one Of the most brilliant colors known
TO the dyer. Then came in quick success
sion greens, vio.ets, blues and yellow col
orlng matters all the hues of the rainbow,
and at the present day the number and
varieties of colors are bewildering.
wv are indebted TO coal tar not only
for beautiful colors, but also for some of
our most valuable drugs. The valuable
drug, antipyrine, discovered in 1888 by DR..
Knorr, of E~rlaneen, is considered even bet
ter than quirine as an assauger of feyers,
and is much cheaper In price. Another is
thaliium, discovered by Skraup. which has
the special power Of mitigating yellow
fever, or the yellow jack the dread Of
every c~olonist. Phenacetine Is still anoth-
er, possessing valuable antipyretic proper
ties. ~Suiphonal, discovered by Professor
Baeyer. is d hypnotic. But perhaps the
most remarkable substance obtained from
tar is saccharlne, 800 times sweeter than
cane sugar, useful for sweetening fruit
preserves. jams, j~ellies, etc. where ordin-
airy cane sugar would mold and ferment
in course of time. A. most interesting and
important property is that it does not
nourish and fatten the body as cane sugar
Goes. Herce it is CT value in certain
troubles like diabetes. where it is often re-
/ commended by the physician for sweeten-
ing tea or coffee In place of cane sugar.
"Vanssin, now cotained from this tar is
a delicate fiavoring essence resembling the
true aaila from the vanilla bean, and the
cultivation of the plant in the Cordilleras
and Mauritius has been greatly restricted,
from the introduction OF this artificial
vanilla. BY mixing essence Of mirbane
with a certain proportion Of this coal-iar
| vanilla, Lord Roscoe has prepared a de-
Iightful perfume known as white hello
trope.' and many of the pleasant perfumes
which play al important part in the toilet
of every pretty maiden and courtly dame
are extracted. by the magic Of chemistry,
from that black and hl-srnellIng substance,
tar
PHARMACISTS.