110 Notice of some Recent [Feb. 



Dumas conceives that alcohol contains hydrogen united to 

 water, and hydrogen united to carbon. Following out these 

 theoretical considerations, he has examined the product of 

 the distillation of alcohol with chloride of lime in solution 

 which he terms chloroforme. It consits of 



Carbon 10'24 



Hydrogen- - - 0*83 

 Chlorine - - - 88*93 



100-00 



The formula for this compound is obviously 2 C + H + 

 3Ch. 



Bromoforme is prepared by treating bromide of lime 

 with alcohol, or pyro-acetic-spirit. It consists of 



Carbon 5*44 



Hydrogen 0*47 



Bromine 94*09 



100-00 



and its formula is3C + H + 3B. 



Iodoforme is formed in a similar manner, and contains 



Carbon 3-20 



Hydrogen 0-33 



Iodine 96-47 



100-00 



corresponding nearly with 2 C + H + 3 I. 



Chloral has its composition expressed according to Dumas, 

 by the formula, 4C + H + + 3Ch. 



Mercaptan. (Ann. de Chim. lvi. 113.J — When sulphovi- 

 nate of barytes is distilled with a solution of sulphuret of 

 barium, an ether passes over which swims on water, and 

 may be freed from sulphuretted hydrogen attached to it 

 by agitation in water, and separated from water by 

 chloride of lime. Thus purified, it is colourless, smells 

 like assafoetida, and burns readily. By distillation it 

 is separated into a more volatile portion, termed by Zeise, 

 mercaptan, an extraordinary appellation, from its affinity 

 for mercury, (corpus mercurium captans,J and into a more 

 fixed substance called thealic ether. 



Mercaptan, when obtained pure from the mercaptide of 

 mercury, is colourless, with a smell of assafoetida. Sp. gr. 



