

CHEMISTRY. 647 



Borneol melts at 197° ; 10 grams of camphor yield 9.5 grams of borneol 

 being 94 per ceut. of the theory. (Am. Chem. Journ., v, 270.) 



Researches on Atropine. — In 1863, Kraut decomposed atropine by a 

 boiliug barium hydrate solution into atropic acid C 9 H 8 2 , and tropine 

 C 8 H 17 ]SX} 2 ; the formula for the latter base was corrected by Lossen, who 

 found C 3 H 15 NO, and showed that atropic acid was only a secondary pro- 

 duct of the decomposition, the primary being tropic acid C 9 H 10 O 3 . 

 Ladenburg in late researches has affected the synthesis of atropine by 

 the dehydration of tropate of tropine. The best results were obtained 

 by the action of dilute hydrochloric acid. The identity of the artifi- 

 cial atropine with that extracted from atropa belladonna was fully estab- 

 lished by chemical and physiological experiments. Tropate of tropine 

 exerts no action whatever on the eye, even in a 10 per cent, solution. 

 iLiebig's Annalen, ccxvii, 74.) 



The Oxidation of Substitution Products of the Aromatic Hydrocarbons. — 

 Dr. Ira Remsen is pursuing his investigations grouped under the above 

 title, and publishes two additional contributions on the oxidation of 

 betacymenesulphamide and of paradipropylbenzenesulphamide in which 

 he has been assisted by Mr. W. C. Day and Dr. E. H. Keiser, respect- 

 ively. 



By treating betacymenesulphamide with potassium pyrochromate and 

 sulphuric acid a body was obtained which proved to be sulphamine- 

 parapropylbenzoic acid having the formula — 



C 6 H 3 \ S0 2 NH 2 (o) 

 ( CU 2 H (p) 



Uuder similar treatment paradipropylbenzenesulphamide yielded as 

 a principal product alphasulpharninepropyllbenzoic acid, the formation 

 of which under the conditions given proves that the sulphamide group 

 exerts a partial protective action upon one of the propyl groups. The 

 protection, however, is not perfect, because sulpho-terephthalic acid is 

 formed at the same time. These results are in perfect harmony with 

 the views advanced some time ago by Dr. Bemsen as to the law of pro- 

 tection. (Am. Chem. Journ., v, p. 149.) 



Synthesis of Salicin. — Prof. Arthur Michael, of Tufts College, has the 

 honor of accomplishing the first synthesis of a glucoside occurring in 

 nature. Having obtained helicin synthetically by the action of sodium 

 salicylaldehyde on acetochlorhydrose, he submitted the helicin to the 

 action of sodium amalgam, as suggested by Lisenko, and obtained a 

 body the properties and composition of which agree perfectly with 

 natural salicin. (Am. Chem. Journ., v, p. 171.) 



A new Synthesis of Anthracene. — With the expectation of obtaining an 

 isomeric tetraphenylethane, Anchutz and Eltzbacker examined the ac- 

 tion of aluminium chloride upon a benzene solution of acetylene tetra- 



