NovEMBER I, 1906| 
NATURE 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 
LONDON. 
Chemical Society, October 18.—Sir W. Ramsay, K.C.B., 
F.R.S., in the chair.—The Longstaff medal was presented 
to Prof. W. Noél Hartley, F.R.S., of Dublin, for his re- 
searches in spectrochemistry.—The description and spectro- 
graphic analysis of a meteorite stone: W. N. Hartley. 
This stony meteorite was seen to fall in the Kangra Valley, 
Northern Punjaub, in 1897. The principal constituents of 
the metallic portion are iron, nickel, cobalt, and chromium, 
with small quantities of copper, lead, silver, and gallium. 
Manganese, calcium, potassium, and sodium are only pre- 
sent in minute proportions.—Malacone, a_ silicate of 
zirconium containing argon and helium: S. Kitchin and 
_W. G. Winterson. This mineral, found at Hitteroe and 
Arendal, Norway, is radio-active, and gives off a mixture 
* helium and argon when heated. The analysis, discount- 
ig ferric oxide, uranium oxide, &c., points to the ratio 
«j ©O,:2SiO, between the zirconia and the silica.—The 
relationship of colour and fluorescence to constitution, 
part i., the condensation products of mellitic and pyro- 
mellitic acid with resorcinol: O. Silberrad. One of the 
chief interests of this work lies in its bearing on the 
quinone theory of the structure of the phthaleins. Many 
of the compounds described do not admit of formulation on 
the quinone type, but are nevertheless intense colouring 
matters, and strongly fluorescent.—Separation of aa- and 
BB-dimethyladipic acids: A. W. Crossley and Miss N. 
Renouf.—Action of alcoholic potassium hydroxide on 
3-bromo-r : 1-dimethylhexahydrobenzene: A. W. Crossley 
and Miss N. Renouf.—The conversion of morphine and 
codeine into optical isomerides, preliminary communica- 
tion: F. H. Lees and F. Tutin. The facts obtained 
permit of the following conclusions respecting the constitu- 
tion of morphine :—(1) the isomeric codeines are the result 
of the racemisation of two asymmetric carbon atoms in a 
molecule which must necessarily contain a third asymmetric 
system; (2) the carbon atoms which undergo racemisation 
are most probably those in the reduced phenanthrene 
nucleus to which the alcoholic hydroxyl group and the 
nitrogen atom are respectively attached; (3) The possible 
isomeric codeines must be represented by the configurations 
++—-, +--, —+-, ———-—The aminodicarboxylic 
acid derived from pinene: W. A. Tilden and D. F. 
Blyther. Details are given for the preparation of the 
acid and its hydrochloride, nitrate, acid oxalate, copper 
salt, ethyl ester and its hydrochloride, and the acetyl 
derivative-—The preparation and properties of dihydro- 
pinylamine (pinocamphylamine): W. A. Tilden and F. G. 
Shepheard. Dihydropinylamine is the chief product of 
the reduction of nitrosopinene by means of boiling amyl 
alcohol and sodium. The hydrochloride, platinichloride, 
picrate, nitrate, oxalate, also the acetyl and benzoyl deri- 
vatives and the carbamide, have been prepared and 
analysed.—Determination of nitrates: F. S. Sinnatt. It 
is shown that Knecht and Hibbert’s method for the estim- 
ation of pieric acid (Ber., 1903, XXxvi., 1549) may be applied 
to the estimation of nitrates.—The nature of ammoniacal 
copper solutions: H. M. Dawson. The experimental data 
obtained indicate the existence in solution of a dissociating 
complex compound containing four molecules of ammonia 
per atom of copper.—The colouring matters of the stilbene 
group, part iii.: A. G. Green and P. F. Crosland. It 
is shown that all the dyestuffs of the stilbene series are 
true azo-compounds. Their chromophor being an azo- 
group, their dyeing properties are now satisfactorily ex- 
plained. They differ, however, from most other azo-dye- 
stuffs in the entire absence of auxochrome groups.—Inter- 
action of succinic acid and potassium dichromate. Note 
on a black modification of chromium sesquioxide: E. A. 
Werner. When a mixture of finely powdered potassium 
dichromate (1 mol.) and succinic acid (6 mols.) is heated, 
a compound having the composition Cr,(C,H,O,),,7H,O is 
formed which has not the properties of a chromo-organic 
acid. The chromium hydroxide produced from it by de- 
composition with sodium hydroxide leaves a_ jet-black 
modification of the sesquioxide after ignition.—Derivatives 
of polyvalent iodine. The action of chlorine on organic 
iodo-derivatives, including the sulphonium and_ tetra- 
substituted ammonium iodides: E. A. Werner.—The so- 
NO. 1931, VOL. 75| 
| of diphenol (4: 4’-dihydroxydiphenol): J. Moir. 
' sulphonation of 
lo Mad 
i) 
called ‘‘ benzidine chromate ’’ and allied substances: J. 
Moir. This substance, which resembles ccerulignone, 
results on mixing solutions of benzidine and chromium 
trioxide. It is the chromate, not of benzidine, but of a 
complex oxidation product of the latter.—New derivatives 
By the 
diphenol the author has prepared the 
3 :3/-disulphonic acid, the 3:5: 3/-trisulphonic acid, and 
the 3:5:3/:5’-tetrasulphonic acid.—The interaction of 
the alkyl sulphates with the nitrites of the alkali metals 
and metals of the alkaline earths: P. C. Ray and 
P. Neogi. By the interaction of the sodium, potassium, 
barium, and calcium salts of ethyl sulphuric acid and the 
nitrites of the alkali metals and metals of the alkaline 
earths, both ethyl nitrite and nitroethane were formed. 
The electrolytic preparation of diallxyldisulphides. Pre- 
liminary note: T. S. Price and D. F. Twiss. By the 
electrolysis of a concentrated aqueous solution of ethyl 
sodium thiosulphate, commonly known Bunte’s salt, 
diethyldisulphide is formed at the anode. Similar results 
were obtained by electrolysing solutions of benzyl sodium 
thiosulphate, dibenzyldisulphide being produced.—The 
direct union of carbon and hydrogen at high temperatures : 
J. N. Pring and R. S. Hutton.—The action of. nitrogen 
sulphide on certain metallic chlorides: O. C. M. Davis. 
When nitrogen sulphide dissolved in dry chloroform is 
added to the tetrachlorides of tin and titanium, the penta- 
chlorides of antimony and molybdenum, and also tungsten 
as 
hexachloride dissolved in the same solvent, interaction 
readily takes place. The compounds formed are repre- 
sented by the formule SnCl,,2N,S,, | SbCl,;,N,S,, 
MoCl,,N,S,, WoCl,,N,S,, and Ti,Cl,,N,S,—The deter- 
mination of halogen: J. Moir. 
Paris. 
» Academy of Sciences, October 22.—M. H. Poincaré in 
the chair.—The work stored up in the trochoidal wave : 
Emile Bertin.—Distillation and desiccation in a vacuum 
with the aid of low temperatures: MM. d’Arsonval and 
Bordas. The vapours given off pass into a condensation 
tube cooled either with liquid air or a mixture of solid 
carbon dioxide and acetone, according to the vacuum re- 
quired. After a preliminary exhaustion with a _ water- 
pump, the exhaustion is completed by a tube filled with 
charcoal immersed in liquid air or acetone and carbon 
acid snow, a Crookes’s tube being used as a manometer. 
The vacuum is maintained by the charcoal tube in spite 
of any slight leakages through the connections. A diagram 
of the apparatus is given, together with full details for 
its use. The following advantages are claimed for the 
method :—the evaporated liquid can be weighed directly, 
the evaporation taking place at the ordinary temperature, 
and in the absence of air the dried substance is obtained 
without alteration, and the time required for the whole 
operation is much reduced. Thus to obtain the dry residue 
from wine, which required three days when evaporated in 
a vacuum by the ordinary method, three hours are 
sufficient.—Contribution to the study of the calorific 
emission of the sun: G. Millochau and C. Féry. Details 
are given of the calibration of the apparatus described in 
a previous paper. Basing the constant of the instrument 
on the calibration with an electric furnace, the tempera- 
ture of which was taken as 1673° absolute, and correct- 
ing for atmospheric absorption, the temperature of the 
sun as given by observations at the summit of Mt. Blanc 
is 5620° C.—Researches on atmospheric lines: Milan 
Stefanik. By the application of the method of coloured 
screens, the author has been able to study the telluric lines 
in the infra-red. A description is given of the instruments 
employed, observations being made at the Observatory of 
Meudon, Chamonix, Grands-Mulets, and the summit of 
Mt. Blanc.—Isothermal surfaces of the first class: L. 
Raffy.—Isothermal surfaces: R. Rothe.—The conditions 
of complete integrability of certain differential systems: M. 
Riquier.—The liquefaction of air by expansion with ex- 
ternal work: Georges Claude.—A safety apparatus for 
providing against accidental sparks in the effects of wire- 
less telegraphy: E!ouard Branly.—The aurora borealis. 
A reply to M. Stérmer: P. Villard.—The existence of 
chloride of bromine: Paul Lebeau. The author has re- 
peated the experiments of earlier workers under varying 
