^2 C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL • March, 19LS 



the presence of concentrated .sulphuric acid. To determine approximately the 

 quantity of gossypol present a quantity of cottonseed meal, sufficient to yield 

 about lo grammes of oil, is extracted with a solvent such as ether. The ethereal 

 solution is allowed to evaporate spontaneously, and the residue of oil mixed with 

 about lO per cent, of its weight of aniline, after first filtering. This mixture is 

 then warmed by means of a water bath, and set aside. 



If a yellov^ crystalline precipitate is formed, gossypol was present This pre- 

 cipitate is collected, washed with a mixture of i part of ether and 2 parts of puri- 

 fied benzine, followed by a further washing with pure petroleum benzine, and is 

 then dried at 100° C. and weighed. The chemical nature of the precipitate is that of a 

 di-aniline salt of gossypol, C30H28O9.2C6H5NH2. The weight of the precipitate, 

 multiplied by the factor 0.74, equals the quantity of gossypol present in the sam- 

 ple used. If after a period of several days, a precipitate does not form in the 

 liquid which has been set aside, gossypol may be said to be absent. Experiments 

 have shown that cottonseed meal, containing 0.24 per cent, of gossypol, or over, 

 when fed to rats, proved fatal within 10 days. Smaller amounts, while not nec- 

 essarily fatal, proved injurious to these animals. 



Thymol-Mercuric Acetate 



Rupp, E. in Arch. Phar., 191 7, 255, /. Chem. Soc, 1917, 112, reports on the 

 constitution of hydrargyrum thymol-aceticum. He states that this compound 

 does not contain ionisable mercury and that its correct formula is HO.C6H(CH3)- 

 (C3H7) (Hg.C2H302)2» and the substance really is 2.6-diaceto-mercuri-thymol. 

 He bases his findings upon the fact that its mixture with glacial acetic acid and 

 potassium nitrate is converted upon treatment with sulphuric acid in the cold into 

 2-6-dinitro-thymol. Its decomposition products when treated with hot 10 per 

 cent, sodium hydroxide solution, with carbon dioxide, or with a saturated solution 

 of sodium chloride are described fully. He also states that 2.6-di-iodomercuri- 

 thymol has been prepared. As a method for the determination of the quantity of 

 metallic mercury in these compounds, he suggests the following: — Heat 0.3 

 gramme of the compound with 5 mils of concentrated sulphuric acid and i gramme 

 of potassium nitrate, boiling the solution until it is colorless. Then allow to cool 

 and add potassium permanganate until a permanent pink color ensues. After 

 addition of a drop of hydrogen peroxide solution, the mixture is titrated with 

 N/io sodium thiosulphate, using ferric alum as indicator. 



Chlorates and Hypochlorites 



For the purpose of identifying chlorates in the presence of hypochlorites, as 

 for instance in Dakin's solution, F. Wischo, in Phar. Post, igi/, 50, /. Chem. Soc, 

 1917, 112, c^lls attention to the , behavior of these substances when brought into 

 contact with brucine and hydrochloric acid. The author states that a yellow 

 coloration will develop in the cold, when 5 mils of a solution of sodium hypochlo- 



