Ixxx GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



Precht and Kraut have investigated at length the question of the 

 dissociation of salts which contain water, and have obtained some 

 valuable results. 



Langley has proi^osed, in determining carbon in iron and steel, to 

 burn the carbon without first sej^arating it from the copper, as is the 

 usual method. 



A new test-paper, j)repared by Waller, is made by soaking strips 

 of unsized paper in a solution of corallin, and is said to be exceed- 

 ingly sensitive to the presence of alkalies, turning a beautiful red 

 color, while acids turn it yellow. Waller proposes it as an alkaline 

 reagent in place of litmus. 



ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 



In Organic Chemistry^ Fittig's hypothesis that cumene was isopro- 

 pylbenzene has been established by Jacobsen, who has succeeded in 

 effecting its synthesis by acting with sodium on isojDropyl iodide, 

 resting upon Avhich was an equivalent quantity of brombenzene dis- 

 solved in six times its volume of ether. The action proceeded slow- 

 ly, and after four days was interrupted. On fractionating, a hydro- 

 carbon boiling near 150 was obtained, which had all the f)roper- 

 ties of cumene. 



Pinner has re-examined more carefully the new hydrocarbon which 

 he announced to have the comj^osition C3H2, and finds that this is 

 wrong, owing to an error in the formula of dichlorallylene from 

 which it came. Its true formula is CgH^, and it is hence either ally- 

 lene itself or an isomer of it. 



Butlerow has shown that the olefines, like the terpenes, are capa- 

 ble of direct union with water to form alcohols, isobutylene yielding 

 trimethylcarbinol quite readily in this way. 



De la Harpe and Van Dorp have examined the hydrocarbon fluo- 

 rene discovered by Berthelot. They find that when fluorene is dis- 

 tilled over moderately heated lead oxide a semi-solid reddish product 

 is obtained, which is a condensation product containing double the 

 number of carbon atoms in its molecule. 



Osipoff has succeeded in preparing amyl alcohols from the direct 

 union of amylene and sulphuric acid. The two forms of the alcohol 

 obtained are respectively dimethyl-ethylcarbinol and methyl-isopro- 

 pylcarbinol, the quantities varying according to the concentration 

 of the acid used. 



Dr. Van Hamel Roos has examined carefully the condition under 

 which glycerin crj^stallizes, having had fifty-six pounds of crystals 

 to work with. The crystals are monoclinic. The only requisite in 

 their production is the freedom of the glycerin from water. Crystals 

 are the best test of purity, and also the best means of purification, 



Renard has studied the action of electrolytic oxygen on glycerin, 

 and finds that there is produced a glyceric aldehyde, which reduces 



