The rates of thermal decomposition of seven oils in a evacuating system similar to the operation of the glass diffusion pump were measured in the neighbourhood of their operating temperatures. The rate of the evolution of decomposed gases is represented as the rate of flow (S×ΔP) which is the product of the pumping speed and the pressure rise at the ionization gauge. It becomes evident that the rate of reaction and its initiation owe to the small concentration of unstable substances in the oils. This conclusion is strongly assitingin the previous discussion on the ultimate pressure of oil diffusion pump.