CHEMISTRY. 



659 



body, in proportiou co its complexity, of an indetinite u umber of struct- - 

 ural names — a proceeding almost tantamount lo not assigning it any 

 l)articular name at all. Although from their number and complexity 

 organic bodies can only be designated by names which do in some 

 measure describe and characterize them, the primary purpose of a 

 name is undoubtedly to designate and not to describe. Accordingly, 

 with a view to the prompt meutai association of object with niime, brief 

 empiric names based on the origin and properties of bodies are, where- 

 ever practicable, to be preferred to structural names. Isomeric bodies 

 may, to a large extent, be distinguished by means of siguiflcant letters 

 or syllables prefixed to the name common to the different isomers. But 

 the suggested use of the particular letters a, (3. y, each in a special 

 sense, also a general resort to the particles "hydro," "oxi," and "hy- 

 droxi," as name components, and more especially the innovation of 

 substituting the word "hydroxide" for the long-established word "hy- 

 drate," are practices open to grave objection. (Eeport of British Asso- 

 ciation for the Advancement of Science, in Nature, xxxii, .538.) 



Uthyl-urethane, a new Hypnotic. — Carbamate of ethyl, or ethyl ukc 

 thane, GH2.C2H5.NO2, has been found to have the properties of a hyp 

 notic. This compound is prepared by the action of aqueous ammonia 

 on ethyl carbonate, or on ethylchloro-carbonate, and forms large tran> 

 j>arent colorless crystals, which melt below 100° C, and distill ac I8O0 

 without alteration. It is soluble alcohol, ether, and water, to which it 

 couimifnicates a taste suggestive of saltpeter. 



Experiments with ethyl carbamate were first made on animals by 

 Sell miedel berg; recently von Jaksch has given the drug to man in 

 doses of about 15 grains in over 100 cases. He finds it acts chietly on 

 the brain, having no ai)preciable influence over the peripheral nerves. 

 It seeujs to be, therefore, a pure hypnotic. It causes a quiet and seem 

 ingly normal sleep, leaving no unpleasant secondary effects. {Deutsche 

 Medicinal Ztg.^ September 14, 1885.) 



Ethyl Compounds of Jlypochlorous Acid (by Traugott Sandmeyer). — 

 Ethyl hypochlorite, ClOCgHs, is easily obtained as follows : Chlorine 

 gas is passed into a solution of sodium hydroxide (1 part) in water (10 

 parts), cooled by ice, until absorption no longer takes i)laco. This fur- 

 nishes free hypochlorous acid and sodium chloride. 



NaOH4-2Cl=NaCl+C10H. 



This is immediately placed in a separating funnel and mixed with one 

 part of alcohol; the liquid becomes turbid and an oily layer separates. 

 This oil is drawn off, washed, and dried in contact with calcium chloride, 

 rhis ethyl hypochlorite forms a yellow, mobile, very volatile liquid 

 of strong o<loi', and attacking the respiratory organs. It burns with a 



