CHEMISTRY. (CHEMICAL SYNTHESIS.) 



119 



invert reaction of formol, and is obtained by sub- 

 mitting a drop of commercial formol to the con- 

 tact of ammoniacal vapors and then plunging it 

 into a cubic centimetre of bromine water acidulated 

 with a drop of acetic acid. In this manner a cloudi- 

 ness or a yellow precipitate is obtained, which is 

 produced by a bromine derivative of hexamethylene 

 tetramine. Another reaction is based on the in- 

 tense carmine coloration which one drop of an 

 aqueous solution of hsematoxyline or of extract of 

 logwood takes in contact with even very small 

 quantities of ammonia gas. 



Finding that the numbers given by different in- 

 vestigators for the composition of the gases formed 

 by the explosion of gun cotton are very variable, 

 Christian Gottig made a careful investigation of 

 the solid and gaseous products arising from the ex- 

 plosion of a specimen having the composition, 

 barium nitrate, 9.83 percent.; nitrotoluol, 22.22 per 

 cent.; and nitrocellulose, 67.96 per cent. The solid 

 products consist of carbon, 9.51 per cent. ; barium 

 carbonate, 64.45 per cent. ; and a residuum insoluble 

 in acid, 26.05 per cent. The gaseous products con- 

 sist of oxide of nitrogen, 10.75 per cent. ; carbon di- 

 oxide 27.48 per cent. ; carbon monoxide, 36.02 per 

 cent, methane, 9.01 per cent. ; hydrogen, 1.94 per 

 cent, and nitrogen, 14.8 per cent. 



Oechsner de Coninck has given the results of ex- 

 periments on the oxidation of some of the nitrified 

 functions of the amides. Hydroxylamine is instan- 

 taneously decomposed with disengagement of nitro- 

 gen by solutions of hypochlorites of calcium, 

 sodium, and potassium in an excess of alkali ; ace- 

 taldoxime is easily decomposed in excess of the 

 base. The diamines do not give off much nitrogen, 

 but ammonia is separated. Carbonate of guanidine 

 is immediately decomposed by the hypochlorites. 

 The reaction is very distinct with the hydrazines, 

 nitrogen beginning to come off at once and con- 

 tinuing to do so till cold. Cyanic and cyanuric 

 acids are immediately destroyed by hypochlorites ; 

 but the results with most of the alkaloids, such as 

 piperidine, nicotine, cocaine, etc., were negative. 

 With antipyrine a certain quantity of nitrogen was 

 given off. 



A process for the decomposition of the bromides 

 founded on the action of a mixture of permanga- 

 nate and a soluble salt of copper has been devised 

 by II. Baubigny and P. Rivals, and the authors 

 have sought for a practical means of deciding if 

 the decomposition is complete at any given mo- 

 ment. For this they use fluorescine paper. Fluo- 

 resoine is prepared by heating for three hours the 

 desired proportions of orthophthalic acid and resor- 

 cin to from 190 to 200 C. It is purified and 

 treated with pure acetic acid at from 40 to 50 per 

 cent. Paper is plunged into the filtered solution 

 and allowed to dry. To use this paper it is mois- 

 tened when the least trace of bromine gives a dis- 

 tinct rose color. Organic matter must be excluded. 



For a simple qualitative research for small quan- 

 tities of iodides or bromides in the presence of a 

 large excess of an alkaline chloride, M. A. Carnot 

 recommends the following procedure : Separate the 

 iodine in a small quantity of the neutral solution 

 by nitrous-sulphuric acid, and collect it in a few 

 drops of sulphide of carbon. The violet or rose 

 coloration is extremely sensitive. The iodine hav- 

 ing been eliminated, add to the liquid a little of 

 chromic and sulphuric acids ; then heat to boiling, 

 while keeping the flask covered with yellow fluo- 

 rescine paper. The very smallest quantities of bro- 

 mine will be revealed by the characteristic rose 

 color. 



For the detection and estimation of carbonic ox- 

 ide in the atmosphere, M. Armand Gautier passes 

 air deprived of all dust, acid gases, and water, 



through two tubes, one containing iodic anhydride, 

 and the second pure powdered copper. The two 

 tubes are so sealed together that they can both be 

 placed in an air oven and heated to from 100 to 

 109 C. 



Chemical Synthesis. In the study by Losa- 

 nitsch and Jovitschitsch of the action of the silent 

 electric discharge in effecting chemical synthesis, 

 the discharge being turned upon mixed gases led 

 through the apparatus, carbon monoxide and water 

 and carbon dioxide and hydrogen were condensed 

 to formic acid ; carbon dioxide and water yielded 

 formic acid and free oxygen ; carbon monoxide and 

 hydrogen gave formaldehyde, which quickly poly- 

 merized ; carbon dioxide and methane condensed 

 to acetaldehyde, which soon formed aldol ; nitrogen 

 and water condensed directly to ammonium nitrite. 

 Other interesting syntheses were obtained with 

 sulphur compounds and with ammonia. In gen- 

 eral, the reactions appeared to be the reverse of 

 those produced by heat. 



Another advance in the synthesis of albuminous 

 substances has been made by Dr. Leo Lilienfeld, who, 

 by means of the condensation of phenol and amido- 

 acetic acid with phosphoric oxychloride, has suc- 

 ceeded in producing pepton, a substance which it 

 had hitherto been believed could be obtained 

 only from organic matters. The process was 

 demonstrated by the author before the Interna- 

 tional Congress of Organic Chemistry. 



Miscellaneous. In a study on the sedimenta- 

 tion of turbulent liquids, M. W. Spring observes 

 that water will sometimes hold finely divided 

 matter of greater density than itself in suspension 

 for an indefinite time, but that the presence of 

 small quantities of salts in solution, or heating the 

 liquid, will suffice to bring about precipitation. A 

 medium formed of pure water containing finely 

 divided silica or other non-electrolytic matter be- 

 gins to clarify gradually as soon as two platinum 

 electrodes are plunged into it and a current is 

 passed through them. From this experiment the 

 author proposes to develop a theory according to 

 which the turbulent state is determined by a modifi- 

 cation of the electric state of the finely divided 

 particles, caused by the change in the energy of 

 attraction of the matter forming them, consequent 

 on disintegration. The presence of a dissolved salt 

 or acid renders the liquid a conductor, and the dis- 

 charge of electricity causes the particles to collect 

 in flocculent masses, an explanation in accordance 

 with Bodlander's view that only electrolytes are 

 capable of producing clarification. Again, con- 

 vection currents produced by warming the liquid 

 give rise to electric currents which have the same 

 effect. M. Spring proposes to explain the fall of 

 rain accompanying thunderstorms on the same 

 theory. 



The results of a study by W. F. Hillebrand of the 

 distribution and quantitative occurrence of vana- 

 dium and molybdenum in rocks of the United 

 States indicate that vanadium occurs in quite 

 appreciable amounts in the more basic igneous and 

 metamorphic rocks, up to 0.08 per cent, or more of 

 V 2 3 , but seems to be absent, or nearly so, from the 

 highly siliceous rocks. The limited evidence thus 

 far obtained points to the heavy ferric aluminous 

 sulphates as its source the biotites, pyroxenes, and 

 amphiboles. Limestones and sandstones seem to 

 contain very small amounts of vanadium. From 

 the few tests for molybdenum it appears as if this 

 element were confined to the more siliceous rocks. 

 It is present in no observed case in amount suffi- 

 cient for quantitative measurement when operating 

 on 5 grammes of material. The rocks examined 

 were so selected as to represent many widely sepa- 

 rated localities and numerous varieties. 



