C 372 ] 



XLVI. Chemical Notices from Foreign Journals. 

 By E. Atkinson, Ph.D. 



[Continued fi-om p. 204.] 



IN the November Number of the Annales de Chimie, M. Baum- 

 bauer proposes a metbod for tbe determination of oxygen in 

 organic substances. The principle on which it rests consists in 

 burning the substance with oxide of copper, and estimating the 

 oxygen lost by the oxide ; the quantity of oxygen contained in the 

 carbonic acid and water produced, less the quantity lost by the 

 oxide of copper, gives the amount of oxygen contained in the 

 substance. This determination requires special apparatus, which 

 the author describes. 



By the continued action of nitric acid on naphthaline, Laurent 

 obtained phthalic acid, which has the formula C'^H^O®. Its forma- 

 tion from naphthaline, C^°H^, is explained on the supposition that 

 4equivs.of cai'bon and 2 equivs. of hydrogen are eliminated as oxalic 

 acid. M. Dusart has found that nitrouaphthaline, C^%'N0'^)U7, 

 undergoes a similar change when acted upon, under certain con- 

 ditions, by caustic potash. In this case the nitronaphthaline loses 

 4 equivs. of carbon, which appear to be eliminated as such, 

 and a body C'^H^NO'* is produced. This represents the nitro- 

 compound of a hydrocarbon as yet unknown, C'^ H^, and which 

 is isomeric with cinnamene. By acting on this new compound, 

 which Dusart names nitrophthaline, with sulphide of ammonium, a 

 base is formed which has the formula C^^H^N. He calls it 

 phthalidine, and describes many of its salts, as well as a substitu- 

 tion product obtained by acting on it with iodide of aethyle. 



By a secondary action of potash on nitrophthaline a bibasic acid 

 is produced, with the further study of which Dusart is engaged. 



The same author gives a new method for the formation of the 

 gas propylene. This consists in distilling together a mixture of 

 an alkaline acetate and oxalate. The acetone from the destruct- 

 ive distillation of the acetate, coming in contact with the carbonic 

 oxide proceeding from the decomposition of the oxalate, is de- 

 oxidized, and a gas absorbable by bromine is produced, which is 

 propylene, — 



C^ H6 02 + 2C0 = 2C02 + C« H6. 

 Acetone. Propylene. 



By distilling the bromide of propylene, C^ H^ Br, which the 

 author prepared from this gas, with sulphocyanide of potassium, 

 he obtained artificial oil of mustard. 



M. Pelouze has in the same Number a short memoir on the 

 saponification of the oils under the influence of the substances 

 which accompany them in the seeds. 



