proceedings: chemical society 307 



recovered; by previous methods about 70 per cent was considered a 

 very good yield. An interesting discussion ensued, partaken in by 

 many members of the society. 



The 258th meeting of the society was held in the Assembly Hall 

 of the Y. M. C. A. on March 9, 1916. The following program was 

 presented : 



H. H. Custis, Bureau of Animal Industry: The action of light on 

 chlorine, with special reference to the formation of chloracetic acid. 



The reactions between chlorine and other substances in the presence 

 of light were all classed with those reactions in which the light only 

 gives an impulse to the activity of chemical change. Several examples 

 of such reactions were cited. A brief outline of the history of the 

 study of phenomena accompanying reaction between hydrogen and 

 chlorine in the presence of light and a resume of the work previously 

 reported on the reaction between chlorine and acetic acid were given. 



The speaker then reported that after unsuccessful attempts to chlo- 

 rinate acetic acid, benzene, and toluene under the influence of light from 

 a projection lantern he was able to make mono-chloracetic acid by 

 the action of chlorine on acetic acid at the temperature of the steam 

 bath under the influence of the rays from an iron arc. The reaction 

 was accelerated by the use of red phosphorus as catalyzer. He was 

 also able to chlorinate benzene and toluene at room temperature, 

 using an iron arc. In these experiments no catalyzers were used. 

 Though benzene was not chlorinated by chlorine subjected to the rays 

 from a quartz mercury arc while passing through a quartz tube, toluene 

 was chlorinated. (Author's abstract.) 



Atherton Seidell, Hygienic Laboratory: The isolation of vitamine 

 from brewer's yeast. 



Vitamine is the name which has been given to a recently recognized 

 essential food element necessary for normal metabolism. Although 

 vitamine (vitamines?) is undoubtedly widely distributed in food stuffs, 

 the amount actually present in any one is probably very minute. 

 Attempts which have so far been made to concentrate vitamine or 

 isolate it have been only partially successful. The material appears 

 to be destroyed or seriously altered by the manipulations involved in 

 the processes of isolation. It has therefore not been possible to make 

 extensive studies of the physiological action of vitamine uninfluenced 

 by accompanying substances. 



Brewer's yeast has been shown to be comparatively rich in vitamine. 

 While attempting to concentrate the vitamine present in this product 

 it was ascertained that hydrous aluminium silicate (fuller's earth) 

 selectively adsorbs vitamine from the complex, aqueous, autolyzed 

 yeast solution. Experiments on pigeons receiving a deficient diet of 

 polished rice showed that the separation of the vitamine by means 

 of the adsorbent was complete. The yeast solution filtered from the 



