XXX. On bitumen in stones

• Published in: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1823
• Subjects: General Medicine; Greenland; Norway; Tokay; Giants Causeway; Iceland; Siberia
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstl.1823.0032; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rstl.1823.0032

In a Paper which I had the honour of presenting to the Royal Society on the 9th of May, 1822, I stated my intention of proceeding with an inquiry into the existence of bitumen in certain stones, not generally supposed to contain such a substance. The result of the investigation, I now beg leave to submit. In the Paper referred to, I described the manner in which the pulverised stone was distilled, in order to obtain the volatile ingredients. I had at that time detected a bitu­minous substance in two varieties of Pitch-stone, the Newry, and the Meissen. I have since subjected to the same process the following minerals, viz., 1. Arran Pitch-stone; 2. Pearl-stone, from Tokay, in Hungary; 3. Pumice, from Iceland; 4. Amygdaloid, from Disco Island; 5. Basaltic, or Secondary Green-stone, from Newry; 6. Transition Green-stone, from Carlingford Mountain in the County of Louth; 7. Bole, from Disco Island; 8. Basalt, from the Giants' Causeway; 9. Basalt, from Disco Island; 10. Transition, by some con­sidered Primitive Green-stone, from Clack Hill, near Castle Wellan, in the County of Down, Ireland; 11. Wacke, from Disco Island; 12. Iron Clay, from Disco Island; 13. Iron Clay,from Howth; 14. Hornblende, from Schneeburg, Upper Saxony; 15. Tourmaline, from Karorulik, in Greenland; 16. Augite, from Arendal, Norway; 17. Serpentine, from Zöplitz, Upper Saxony; 18. Clay Slate, from Bangor, North Wales; 19. White Felspar, from Killiney, near Dublin; 20. Flesh-red Felspar, from Aberdeen, Scotland; 21. Menilite, from Menil Montant, near Paris; 22. Adhesive Slate, from Menil Montant; 23. Mica Slate, from Freyburg, Saxony; 24. Mica, from the Ural Mountains, Siberia; 25. Obsidian, from the Lipari Islands; 26. Fetid Quartz, from Nantes in France; 27. Common Quartz; 28. Rock Crystal, from the Cape of Good Hope.