THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



cellulose. They are said to exercise perfectly 

 all the functions common to saprophytic organ- 

 isms at 6o° to 65 C, that is to say, at a tem- 

 perature which is usually fatal to the life of 

 cell protoplasm. — British Med. Journ., 1894, 

 644. 



Novel Hydrocarbon in Fir Tar — A. Renard 

 describes a novel hydrocarbon occurring 

 amongst the products of distillation of fir tar, 

 which is probably a member of the aromatic 

 series. When purified it is a colorless liquid, 

 boiling at 254°-257°. Its density at o°C. equals 

 0.9419, its refractive index is 1.507, and it is 

 without action on polarized light. Its analysis 

 and vapor density indicate its formula asC H 

 H 22 . Exposed to air it becomes brown in 

 color, but hydrochloric acid does not affect it. 

 With bromine it forms colorless crystals of a 

 tetrabromide derivative, C 14 H 18 Br 4 , and an un- 

 stable bibromide, Ci 4 H 23 Br 2 , may also be pre- 

 pared. A nitro-deiivative. C 13 H 21 N0 2 , is 

 formed by the action of fuming nitric acid upon 

 an acetic solution of the hydrocarbon, and a 

 sulphonic derivative by the action of sulphuric 

 acid. The latter when separated, distilled, and 

 otherwise purified, yields about 15 to 20 per 

 cent, of a saturated hydrocarbon that boils at 

 about 25o°-253°, corresponds to the formula C 14 

 H 26 , and is unaffected by the strongest acids. 

 The sulphonic acid remaining in solution may 

 be separated by precipitating it as an ammoniac- 

 al salt, which is very soluble in water. The 

 acid also forms an insoluble baiium salt (C 14 

 H 21 S0 4 ) 2 Ba. The last reaction noted of the 

 hydrocarbon, C l4 H 22 is the very marked blue 

 coloration produced on treating it with a mix- 

 ture of sulphuric acid and alcohol. This, ac- 

 cording to Maquenne, is characteristic of the 

 aromatic hydrides. The partial transformation 

 of the new compound, when treated with sul- 

 phuric acid, into a saturated hydrocarbon may 

 be compared with the transformation of hepti- 

 nene, C V H 13 , into toluene hexahydride, and it 

 may possibly be correct to regard it as bi hepti- 

 nyl, C 7 H 1( — CvHjf, or bi-tolyl octo-hydride 

 (H 4 — C 7 H 7 )— C 7 H 7 — H 4 ). This formula also 

 accords with the transformation of the com- 

 pound into a satuiated hydrocarbon or bi-tolyl 

 dodecahydride (H, .— C 7 H 7 )— (C 7 H 7 — H,.), by 

 fixation of four atoms of hydrogen. — Pharm. 

 Jour. Trans. ,\^\, 354; Covip. rend., cxix., 625. 



Constitution of Limonene. — Wallach has 

 determined the constitution of limonene from 

 the following considerations :— Limonene reacts 

 with bromine, forming limonene tetrabromide 



which is decomposed by sodium methylate 

 thus : — 



C 111 H 1(i Br 4 -f-3NaOCH3=C 10 H 14 BrOCH 3 



+3NaBr+2CH 3 OH. 

 The product can be made to yield the methyl 

 ether of carvol by treatment with silver acetate 

 and acetic acid, and by treatment with hydro- 

 bromic acid dipentene tetrabromide results. 

 Since carvol and dipentene can be obtained 

 from limonene tetrabromide, that compound 

 must have one of the three lollowing for- 

 mulae : — 

 CH, Br CH, Br 



CH, Br 



H 2 

 H, 



HBr 

 HBr 



H 2 



HBi 



HBr 



HBr 

 H, 



Br 

 H, 



C 3 H- Br C.,H 7 Br C 3 H- Br 



I. II. III. 



The third is considered an unlikely configura- 

 tion from analogy. By acting on I. with sodium 

 methylate, no product could result which 

 would yield carvol or dipentene derivatives on 

 treatment with silver acetate or hydrobromic 

 acid. But II. would yield the ether, and is cap- 

 able of forming carvol ether and dipentene 

 tetrabromide. Now terpineol yields a tribromide 

 of known composition, and the three bromine 

 atoms in its formula are in the same position as 

 those presupposed for limonene tetrabromide, 

 whilst the compound yields carvol ether by 

 proper treatment, identical with carvol ether 

 obtained from limonene. Thus the formulae for 

 limonene tetrabromide and limonene are con- 

 firmed.— Ann. der Chem. 281, p. 127. (P.J. Tr) 

 Localization of Alkaloids in Plants. — In a 

 paper in the Bulletin of the Belgian Microscop- 

 ical Society (1894), M. Clautriau describes the 

 mode of distribution of the alkaloids in a 

 variety of plants, which he arranges under five 

 types, viz. : — ( 1 ) In a layer of cells lying between 

 the endosperm and the true testa (Alropa bella- 

 donna. Datura stramonium, Hyoscyamus 

 niger); (2 J in two laj ers, especially in the 

 outer one, between the endosperm and the peri- 

 carp ; also, to a smaller extent, in the epiderm, 

 and in the cells which accompany the vascular 

 bundles (Conium maculalum); (3) in the en- 

 dosperm, especially in its peripheral cells 

 (Aconitum napellus, Delphinium stapkisagria); 

 (4) in all the cells of the endosperm, and to a 

 smaller extent in those of the embryo (Strych- 

 nos nux-vomica) ; (5) apparently in the coty- 

 ledons and plumules (Lupinus albus). The al 



