572 CONSIDERATION OF CARBON COMPOUNDS. 



Bismuth tribrom-phenolate, Bi 2 O 2 .OH.(OC 6 H 2 Br 3 ) (Xeroform},is a fine 

 yellow, nearly odorless and tasteless powder, insoluble in water or alcohol, but 

 soluble in 2 per cent, hydrochloric acid in the proportion of 30 : 100. It is incom- 

 patible with alkaline media and should not be heated above 120 C. It is a non- 

 irritant and non-toxic antiseptic, recommended as a substitute for iodoform. 



Nitro-plienols. Mono-, di-, and trinitro-phenols are known. Mononitro- 

 phenol is formed by the action of dilute nitric acid on phenol ; the di- and tri- 

 nitro- derivatives are formed by further nitration. Mononitro-phenol is of in- 

 terest also because it is used in the manufacture of acetphenetidiu. 



Acetphenetidin, Acetphenetidinum, C 6 H 4 .O(C 2 H 5 ).NH(C 2 H 3 O) = 

 177.79 (Phenacetin). When mononitro-phenol, C 6 H 4 .NO 2 .OH, is 

 treated with reducing agents, the oxygen of NO 2 is replaced by hy- 

 drogen, and amino-phenol, C 6 H 4 .OH.NH 2 , is formed. The methyl 

 ether of this compound, C 6 H 4 .O(CH 3 ).NH 2 , is known as anisidin, 

 and the ethyl ether, C 6 H 4 .O(C 2 H 5 ).NH 2 , as phenetidin. By the 

 action of glacial acetic acid upon para-phenetidin, one hydrogen atom 

 in NH 2 is replaced by acetyl, C 2 H 3 O, when para-acetphenetidin is 

 formed. The compound is used as an antipyretic under the name 

 of phenacetin. 



It is a colorless, odorless, tasteless powder, sparingly soluble in 

 water, readily soluble in alcohol; it fuses at 135 C. (275 F.). 

 Fresh chlorine water colors a hot aqueous solution first violet, then 

 ruby-red. The same color is obtained by boiling 0.1 gramme of 

 phenacetin with 1 c.c. of hydrochloric acid for one minute, diluting 

 with 10 c.c. of water, filtering when cold, and adding 3 drops of 

 solution of chromic acid. 



Acetphenetidin is the best-known one of a large number of derivatives of 

 para-aminophenol, known as the phenetidin series. These derivatives, as well 

 an acetphenetidin itself, are contained in many migraine and headache powders. 

 Lactophenin is lactyl-para-phenetidin, C 2 H 5 OC 6 H 4 NH.COCH(OH)CH 3 , a diffi- 

 cultly soluble white powder. Sal-ophen, saliphen, phenocoll, salocoll, etc., are 

 similar derivatives. 



Trinitro-phenol, C 6 H 2 (NO,) 3 OH (Picric acid, Carbazotic acid). 

 This substance is formed by the action of nitric acid on various mat- 

 ters (silk, wool, indigo, Peruvian balsam, etc.), and is manufactured 

 on a large scale by slowly dropping phenol into fuming nitric acid. 

 Picric acid forms yellow crystals which are sparingly soluble in 

 water ; it has a very bitter taste, strongly poisonous properties, and 

 is used as a yellow dye for silk and wool and as a reagent for albumin. 

 While phenol has but slight acid properties, picric acid behaves like 



