THE MARVELS OF COAL TAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22628, 16 January 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

THE MARVELS OF COAL TAR

Speaking recently before the Society of Chemical Industry, a noted chemist summarised a number of the products of the coal-tar industry. Since the discovery of mauve, half a century ago, dyes tuffs after dyestull's have been and still are evolved from coal tar, giving the whole range of the colours of the rainbow and complying with every demand of taste, fashion, and stability, surpassing in beauty, brilliancy, and fastness to time, light, arid chemicals, the colours supplied to us by Nature hi plants and animals. A host of medicines for the treatment of the inost diverse diseases iias been and still is produced from coal tar; fever, sleeplessness, and pains of all origin are allayed by its various derivatives; surgical operations arc rendered painless and t.hortened by anaesthetics made from this source. The active principles of animal glands arc reproduced from coal tar, and placed at the disposal'of the physician. The sleeping sickness of Africa—the disease caused V the bite of the tsetse fly—is cured ".Y coal-tar products, and we are now °n the threshold of curing cancer, tlio Jj'ost hc/rrible scourge of modern life, by remedies derived from this source. We make artificial sweeteners from coal tar which are 550 times sweeter than sugar; artificial oil of bitter almond and of musk are derived from this source. The odours of oil of violets, roses, jasmin, and heliotrope are reproduced bv coal-tar We develop our photographic Pictures with tliem, and use them for Tmotogranhy in the colours of Nature. ; v e employ them as safety explosives "» mine; and building operations, and jho armies and navies of the world uso jnem as smokeless powder. With coalproducts we protect our giants of the foists; against destruction bv Caterpillars and other insects, and preSerrc with them the canned goods so 'dispensable for the soldier, sailor and explorer.