20G Notice of some Recent [March 



the name of benzine, and considers it the base of benzoic 

 acid, which is therefore a combination of benzine and car- 

 bonic acid. • 



Peligot states that benzone distilled with quick lime 

 produces carbonate of lime and naphthaline, and that in 

 distilling hydrous benzoic acid with lime in excess, bicar- 

 buret of hydrogen is the only product. 



JVitro-benzide, is the name given by Mitscherlich to the 

 product of the action of fuming nitric acid upon benzine. 

 It is a yellowish coloured substance, possessing a sweet 

 taste and peculiar smell somewhat between that of bitter 

 almonds and oil of cinnamon. Its spec.grav. is 1*209. Its 

 boiling point is 415°. At 37° it begins to solidify, and cry- 

 stalline needles are observed. Sulphuric acid decomposes 

 it. It detonates when heated with potassium. It is almost 

 insoluble in water, and completely so in ether and alcohol. 

 Concentrated nitric and sulphuric acids dissolve it easily, 

 It consists of 



Carbon . . . 58*53 

 Hydrogen. . . 4*08 

 Azote . . . . 11-20 

 Oxygen . . . 25*99 



99*80 

 Sulpho-benzide, is procured by the following process. Ex- 

 pose benzine to the action of anhydrous sulphuric acid, or 

 acid of Nordhausen until a thick liquid is produced, which 

 dissolves completely in a little water. Saturate the acid with 

 barytes, and decompose the salt of barytes in solution with 

 sulphate of copper ; after evaporation, sometimes crystals 

 of the copper salt are obtained, and sometimes sulpho-ben- 

 zoate of copper ; and in addition, a crystalline powder sepa- 

 rates when the liquid is reduced to dryness. This substance 

 is very slightly soluble in water and may be completely 

 freed from the acid which it retains by repeated washing 

 in the water ; but to have it in a state of absolute purity, 

 it should be dissolved in ether, the solution filtered, eva- 

 porated, and the resulting crystals subjected to crystalliza- 

 tion. At 212° it becomes a transparent colourless liquid, 

 and boils at a temperature between the boiling points of 



