INDUSTRIAL PROGRESS DURING THE YEAR 1872. xx i x 



cochineal may be looked for. The most striking results which 

 have been obtained during the year in reference to coloring 

 matters, however, are those developed by the researches of 

 Baeyer. It has long been known that by the action of oxalic 

 and sulphuric acids upon phenol (carbolic acid) a red color- 

 ing matter known as corallin is produced. Baeyer finds that 

 this is a general reaction, and that whenever dibasic organic 

 acids act upon any of the phenols, a coloring matter is pro- 

 duced. By the action of phthalic acid upon pyrocatechin, 

 for example, a brilliant coloring matter is obtained, which, 

 being remarkably fluorescent, he calls fluorescein. Using 

 some others of the polyatomic phenols, he has succeeded in 

 preparing in this, way coloring matters which very closely 

 resemble the natural coloring matters of dye-stuffs, such as 

 Brazil-wood and logwood, though they are not identical with 

 these. The road seems open, however, to the synthesis of 

 these natural coloring matters in the near future. The con- 

 stitution of the glucosides has received the attention of chem- 

 ists. Many new ones have been discovered, the constitution 

 of old ones has been established, and some of them, as sescu- 

 lin, have been synthetically produced. Tannin has been re- 

 moved by Hugo Schiff from the glucosides, since he has re- 

 peated and confirmed Vogt's synthesis of it from gallic acid 

 by the action of arsenic acid. He regards it as digallic acid, 

 as it is formed by the condensation of two molecules of gal- 

 lic acid. This chemist, by the introduction of ammonia res- 

 idues into butyric aldehyde, has succeeded in producing the 

 vegetable alkaloid conine, the active principle of Conium 

 maculatum. This is the first synthesis of a true natural al- 

 kaloid ; and the certainty with which it was done is another 

 proof, if any were wanting, of the fact that its synthesis is easy 

 after the constitution of a substance is understood. Hence 

 we may confidently look for a speedy synthesis of morphine, 

 quinine, strychnine, and all the other vegetable alkaloids. 

 The remarkable results, obtained first by Drs. Crum-Brown 

 and Fraser of Edinburgh, of the action of the methyl deriva- 

 tives of these alkaloids, have been increased by others the 

 past year, particularly on the Continent. When the consti- 

 tution of these alkaloids shall be understood, and their syn- 

 theses be effected, it seems clear that it will be possible to 

 form, by replacement, a series of derivatives which in itself 



