CHEMISTRT. f) 1 



.1 neic iSt/itthesis of tSaliyenin^ by William H. Greene.— Since by the lo- 

 action of chloiotorui or of carbon tetrachloride on an alkaline solution 

 of soilinin i)lieuato, salicylic aldehyde may be obtained, the author c.\ 

 peered to synthesize sali^enin, an oxybenzylic alcohol, by the action of 

 Mierliylen chloride on tiie sodium phenate. Experiments confirmed his 

 views, though the yield of saligenin was small. {Ghcin. News, L, 70.) 



Action of Metals on Chloral Hydrate, by S. Cotton. — An aqueous solu- 

 tion of chloral hydrate is deeomi)Osed by most metals, with formation of 

 a metallic chloride. The degree of decomposition depends upon the 

 temperature, the nature of the metal, and the state of fineness of the 

 metal used. 



Zinc decomposes chloral hydrate slowly at the^rdinary temperatures, 

 but at 80° to 100^ the action goes on rapidly, disengaging in one hour 

 125 c. c. of gas when operating with GOO grams of metal and 10 of chlo- 

 ral. This gas is a mixture of hydrogen with formene and traces of 

 chlorine products. At the same time chloride and oxychloride of zinc 

 are formed, the latter covering the metal and stopping the action. The 

 operation is impeded rather than quickened by amalgamating the zinc. 

 If zinc dust be used, the reaction begins vigorously at the ordinary tem- 

 ])erature. Iron acts very dilfereutlj'^ unless finely divided, in which case 

 it gives the same results as the zinc. {Bull. hoc. eliim., XLii, 622.) 



New Forms of Alhumose. — Prols. W. Kiihne and K. H, Chittenden in 

 a previous paper described hemialbumose, a cleavage product of the 

 albumins. In studying its reactions the authors noted differences of 

 solubility ami inconstancy in the reactions with sodium chloride, circum 

 stances which have led them to the separation of four different forms 

 of albumose, viz : I, protalbumose ; II, deuteroalbumose ; III, hetero- 

 albumose; and, lY, dysalbumose. These bodies were obtaijied in part 

 l)y digestion of fibrin with pepsin-hydrochloric acid, or from the com- 

 mercial '' pepton " manufactured by Witte, and in part from preserved 

 hemialbumose from the urine of a patient with osteomalachia. For de- 

 tails of i)reparation and properties we refer to the original articles. 

 [Am. Chem. Journ., Yi, 31 and 101.) 



Investigations on Sinapine and Sinapic Acid, by Ira liemsen and li. D. 

 Coale. — In 1825 Henry and Garot discovered a new substance in white 

 nmstard seed to which they gave the name sulphosinapic acid. In 

 1852 von Babo and Hirschbrunn published an elaborate investigation of 

 this substance, since which practically nothing has been added to our 

 knowledge of the subject. Professors Kemsen and Coale have undertaken 

 a new investigation of sinapine and its decomposition products. From 

 100 j)ounds of unground white mustard seed they obtained 80 grams 

 pure sulphocyanate of sinapine, which crystallizes from water in beauti- 

 ful feathery masses. It melts at 170^. The siuapic acid is best i)re- 

 pared from this product by treating it with bariuui hydroxide. This 



