40 C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL March, 1918 



Conducted by Prof. George C. Diekman. 



Hydroxypyridine and Adenine 



The alleged antineuritic properties of hydroxypyridine and adenine were sub- 

 jected to investigation by A. Harden and S. S. Zilva, who report in Biochem. 

 Journ., 1917, II. Experiments were conducted with polyneuritic pigeons, and 

 the authors found that when crystalline hydroxypyridine (both needles and gran- 

 ules) was injected into the diseased animals, no cure or even amelioration of 

 symptoms resulted. They likewise found that pure adenine, as well as adenine 

 heated in a sealed tube with sodium ethoxide, for a period of 5 hours at 100" C, 

 was without merit in the cases under observation. 



Calcium Cyanamide 



This chemical serves a valuable purpose as a fertilizer, it is however difficult 

 to apply to soils, in such manner as will insure best results. Experiments have 

 been made by mixing calcium cyanamide with 15% of its weight of coal tar, and 

 passing the mixture through a mincing machine. The resultant material resem- 

 bles superphosphate very closely, and can be spread over soils readily and without 

 the necessity of first powdering. Pot experiments with oats and wheat, using 

 this material as a manure, proved conclusively that the tar had no injurious effect. 

 Field trials carried on subsequently confirmed these results. Bull. Ag. Intell., 

 1917, 8. 



Preparation of Vitamine 



U. S. Patents, No. 1,235,198, July, 1917. Various organic food products are 

 extracted with diluted alcohol, and the alcohol removed by distillation in vacuo. 

 The resulting aqueous liquid is then treated in acid solution with lead acetate, and 

 in neutral solution with basic lead acetate, in order to remove impurities. After 

 removal of lead the solution may be evaporated to dryness, or it may be further 

 purified by precipitation with an alkaloidal precipitant, decomposition of the pre- 

 cipitate, and resolution of the active constituent. The vitamines thus obtained 

 appear in the form of yellow-brown substances, hygroscopic; and soluble in water, 

 producing solutions which are feebly acid in character. With alkalies they form 

 solutions possessing a yellow color, and the odor of methylamine. The watery 

 solutions precipitate upon the addition of tannin, silver nitrate, phosphomolybdic 

 acid and phosphotungstic acid. 



