134 
residue obtained from the distillate was considerable in quantity and 
gave about 1.5 grams of a yellow platinum compound, which showed on 
ignition a percentage of 48.52 and 48.55 of platinum in two determinations. 
The platinum in ammonium chloroplatinate amounts to 438.92 per cent. 
These experiments showed, then, about .5 per cent. of nitrogen as am- 
monia in the deposit—the main point of this communication. 
Attempts to show the presence of primary amines by the isocyanide 
reaction failed, and nothing but the odor seemed to indicate the presence 
of amines of any kind. <A deposit formed ‘in an iron (not galvanized) pipe 
under similar conditions had little or no odor. 
Drrect NITRATION OF THE PARAFFINS. R. A. WoRSTALL. 
[Am. Chem. Journal, March, ’98; Vol. 20, No. 3.] 
EVOLUTION OF FREE NITROGEN IN BACTERIAL FERMENTATIONS. A PRELIMIN- 
ARY PAPER ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE GAs EVOLVED IN BACTERIAL 
FERMENTATIONS. By SEVERANCE BURRAGE AND 
A. Hucu Bryan. 
During the study of certain species of bacteria in the bacteriological 
laboratory at Purdue last year, Miss Clara Cunningham found one that 
produced an enormous amount of gas in fermentation tubes. In fact, the | 
evolution of gas was so rapid and profuse as to attract immediate atten- 
tion as something extraordinary. The bacillus responsible for this had 
been separated from sugar beet. It was thought to be of sufficient interest 
to have the gas analyzed, which was done. The gas was found to be made 
up of CO., H, O and a residual gas which was presumed to be nitrogen. 
But the occurrence of free nitrogen in this way and in this comparatively 
large proportion is rare and unusual, and it raised the question whether 
this could really be nitrogen. No positive test had been made. Every 
other possible gas had been shown to be present or absent, and nitrogen 
and argon were all the possibilities remaining. This seemed to be suf- 
ficient proof for the chemist, but the bacteriologist wanted a positive proof 
for nitrogen, which was made, and the nitrogen was found. 
In looking up the literature on the subject very little was learned. 
Nitrogen had been found in a few cases, but no positive tests given. And 
in some of these cases, on account of the small amount of the nitrogen 
