EXTRACTS OF COAL. Thousands of Products of Which Little is Known.

Te Aroha News, 26 November 1887, Page 5

EXTRACTS OF COAL. Thousands of Products of Which Little is Known.

Much discussion has been arroused within a recent period relative to the numerous uses that the chemical extracts of coal can be put to. In answer to numerous ques tions, Professor F. L. Slocuin, a prominent chemist of Pittsburg, states that innumerable, impoitant and valuable extracts are chemically produced from coal, and find an excellent and ready market in all parts of the country. The uses to -which they are applied are many and prominent. In reply to the question, "Is vanilla extract a product of coal tar?" Professor Slocum said : " Why, of course it is, and a better article is furnished from coal tar than fiom the bean itself. Vanilla io made from tolulu, one of the products of coal tar. It is used for flavouring ice cream and confectionery, and is a chemically pure product, which \ egetable vanilla is not." " There are a great many products from coal that the majority of people know nothing of, 15 continued Professor Slocum. "Theie number will reach into the thousands, and research in this particular branch of ignorance chemistry is bringing 1 new and rich rewards to scientists every year. One of the hydro-carbons distinctly produced from coal tar is benzole. This is the base of magenta, red and blue colouring; matters, and of the oil of bitter almonds. This oil formerly came entirely from the vegetable product, from which it takes its name, but now it i 3 to a large extent made from benzole, and a chemically pure product is secured. The vegetable oil of bitter almonds contains a certain amount of prussic acid, which is a poisonous substance. " Toluene or tolulo is another product from coal tar, which is the base of a great many chemicals. Benzoic acid, which used to be made almost entirely from plants, is now readily made from toluene. Carbolic acid is another product of tolulo ; the latter is a colourless fluid, with a smell very much like crude petroleum, while carbolic acid and salicylic acid, two of its products, are far from being sweet-smell-ing compounds. Yet this same tolulo is the basis of a number of very fragrant products. Wintergreen oil, much purer than from the plant, and generally preferred by confectioners and others who use it, is one. Oil of cinnamon, cinnamic acid and oil of cloves are among the middle product, which are in great and increasing demand." As yet the products of coal tar havo not been made use of for medicines to any great extent, except as disinfectants, but from experiments now in progress, it is hoped to produce pure quinine from chinolene, one of the coal-tar products, and scientists claim that it is only a question of time when all the alkaloids known, and probably others not now known will be made from coal tar. It would require a large-sized volume to even begin to enumerate the commercial products alone of coal tar. Nearly every known colour, except cochineal red and indigo blue, are made, and the latter was produced after nine years of experiment by the eminejit German scientist, Herr Gu stave Byer of Munich, but the manufacture was so expensive that it has never been done except for scientific purposes. The logwood and madder dyes of our grandmothers' days are rarely found in the market now, owing to the cheapness with which the new coal dyes are manufactured. Red ink, which formerly was made almost exclusively from carmine, is now made from cosine, one of the numerous coal tar family.

Mrs Pompano— -Heard about the row at Bagley's house? Pompano— No ; what was it? The Sheriff—Mrs Pompano— Nonsense Mr Bagley kicked out three suitors in one night. Pompano (excitedly) —Kicked out three ! Good heavens, woman, where were you that you didn't catch one of them for Amelia? Another milliner* bill like the last and I'll lasso the first man Jmeet and make him pjarry her.