( 
| 
Fune 10, 1886] 
filter-press from the solution containing the sodium ortho- and 
parasulphonates. 
CH, 
(Colts {S08 
. . . CH, 
,Ca + NajCO, = CaCOy + 2CsHa} SG" Ona, 
The sodium toluene sulphonates 
Strep 1V.—The solution of the sodium salts from III. is eva- 
porated either inan open orina yacuum-pan so far that a portion 
taken out will solidify on cooling. The contents of the pan are 
then run into moulds of wood or iron, and allowed to cool and 
solidify. The lumps are at length taken from the moulds, broken 
up small, and dried in a drying-room, and subsequently in a drying 
apparatus heated with steam, until quite desiccated. 
Strep V.—The sodium sulphonate salts are now converted into 
their corresponding sulphonic chlorides. ‘This is effected as 
follows :—The dried sulphonates are thoroughly mixed with 
phosphorus trichloride, itself as dry as possible. The mixture 
is then placed in lead-lined iron vessels, and a current of chlorine 
is passed over the mixture till the reaction is ended. The tem- 
perature generated by the reaction must be properly regulated 
by cooling the apparatus with water, ‘The phosphorus oxy- 
chloride resulting from the decomposition is driven off, collected, 
and utilised for deyeloping chlorine from bleaching powder for 
the chlorinating process, phosphate of lime being precipitated, 
which can be used in manures. For this purpose the oxychlo- 
ride is treated with water, and the mixture, now containing 
hydrochl sric and phosphoric acids, is brought into contact with 
the chloride of lime. 
The reaction by which the ortho- and para-toluene sulphonic 
chlorides are produced is indicated by the following equation :— 
a. (GH ae ees 
Coll { SG'va + (PCy + 2Cl) = 
CH, : 
Ci, { Soci + POCI; + Nacl. 
Toluene sulphonic chlorides 
The two sulphonic chlorides remaining in the appiratus are 
allowed to cool slowly, when the solid one (the para compound) 
is deposited in 1 rge crystals, so that the liquid one can be easily 
removed by the aid of a centrifugal machine. The crystalline 
residue is freed from all the liquid sulphonic chloride by washing 
with cold water. Only the liquid orthotoluene sulphonic chloride 
is capable of yielding saccharine, and the liquid product above 
Separated is cooled with ice to crystallise out the last traces of 
the crystalline compound. The solid parasulphonic chloride 
obtained as by-product, is decomposed into toluene, hydrochloric, 
and sulphurous acids by mixing it with carbon, moistening the 
mixture, and subjecting it under pressure to the action of super- 
heated steam. ‘The total change proceeds in two stages :— 
(cu ~ CH, 
41 §0,c] + #20 = CoHu) so, 04 
Be (cat ets ) + C =2(CsH,. CH;) + CO, + SO,. 
r. C,H , + HCl. 
SO,OH 
The toluene is then used again in Step I., and the hydrochloric 
and sulphurous acids in Step VII. 
Srep VI.—The liquid orthotoluene sulphonic chloride is now 
converted into the orthotoluene sulphonic amide by treating the 
former with solid ammonium carbonate in the required propor- 
tions, and subjecting the resulting thick pulpy mixture to the 
action of steam. Carbonic acid is set free, and a mixture of 
orthotoluene sulphonic amide and ammonium chloride remains. 
Toluene sulphonic chloride 
CyHy So. NH, + NHCl + H,0 + CO, 
SO,.. 2 
Toluene sulphonic amide 
As the mixture is very liable to solidify on cooling, cold water is 
at once added to prevent this, and to dissolve out the ammonium 
chloride, the amide remaining in the solid state. The liquid is 
separated by ce itrifugating. 
_ Srep VII.—The orthotoluene sulphonic amide is no v oxidised, 
preferably by means of potassium permanganate. The result of 
this will be, precipitated manganese dioxide, free alkali and 
alkaline carbonate, and an alkaline orth sulphamido-benzoate. 
The alkaline liquid requires careful neutralisation during the 
_ oxidising process, and especially before evaporating, with a 
“mineral acid, or else the sulphamido-benzoate formed would be 
NATURE 
135 
again split up into orthosulphonic benzoate and free ammonia, 
thus :— 
C,H (CO. ONa (CO.ONa 
ghly 
aE One Niele {SO,. ONa 
The oxidation process itself is thus represented :— 
+ NaOH = C,H, + NH,. 
See 50.) NH, + 30 + NaOH = 
+: giGOn Onaeier 
Colt | SO. Vit, + 240. 
Sodium orthotoluene 
sulphamido-benzoate 
By precipitation with dilate mineral acids, such as hydrochloric 
or sulphurous acids, the pure benzoyl sulphonic imide is at once 
precipitated :— 
CO,.ONa 
Coy { SO.. NH, a Hcl — 
NaCl + H,O + CgHy oS } NH, 
“ Saccharine,”’ or benzoyl 
sulphonic imide 
Saccharine possesses a far sweeter taste than cane sugar, and has 
a faint and delicate flavour of bitter almonds. It is said to be 
220 times sweeter than cane sugar, and to possess considerable 
antiseptic properties. On this account, and because of ils great 
sweetness, it is possible that it may be useful in producing fruit 
preserves or jams, consisting of almost the pure fruit alone; the 
small percentage of saccharine necessary for sweetening these 
preserves being probably sufficient to prevent mouldiness, 
Saccharine has been proved by Stutzer, of Bonn, to be quite 
uninjurious when administered in considerable doses to dogs, the 
equivalent as regards sweetness in sugar administered, being 
comparable to over a pound of sugar each day. Stutzer found, 
moreover, that saccharine does not nourish as sugar does, but 
that it passes off in the urine unchanged. It is proposed thus to 
use it for many medical purposes, where cane sugar is excluded 
from the diet of certain patients, as in cases of “ diabetes mel- 
litus,” and in this respect it may prove a great boon to suffering 
humanity, although we must remember that, as certain of the 
aromatic compounds if administered for a length of time are 
known to exert a physiological effet, especially on the liver, it 
will be desirable to use caution in the regular use of saccharine 
until its harmless action on the human body has been ascertained 
beyond doubt. 
Saccharine is with difficulty soluble in cold water, from hot 
aqueous solutions it is easily crystallised. Alcohol and ether 
easily dissolve it. Hence from a mixture of sugar and saccharine, 
ether would easily separate the saccharine by solution, leaving 
the sugar. It melts at 2bout 200°C. with partial decomposition. 
The taste is a very pure sweet one, and in comparison with 
cane sugar it may be said that the sensation of sweetness is much 
more rapidly communicated to the palate on contact with sac- 
charine than on contact with sugar. The speaker expressed 
his thanks to the discoverer of saccharine, Dr. Fahlberg, of 
Leipzig, for a complete and interesting series of preparations 
illustrating the domestic and medicinal uses of this remarkable 
compound, and also to his friend Mr. Watson Smith for the 
kind aid afforded him in the experimental illustration of his 
discourse. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, May 20.—‘‘On the Working of the 
Harmonic Analyser at the Meteorological Office.” By Robert 
H. Scott, F.R.S., and Richard H, Curtis, I’. &.Met.Soc. 
On the 9th of May, 1878, Sir W. Thomson exhibited to the 
Society a model of an integrating machine, which consisted of a 
series of five of the disk, globe, and cylinder integrators, which 
had been devised two years earlier by his brother Prof. James 
Tho uson, and a description of which will be found in the 
Proceedings of the Royal Society, vol. xxiv. p. 262. Sir W. 
Thomson’s paper describing this model will be found in vol. 
xxvii. of the Procedings, p. 371; and referenze should be 
made to both these papers for an explanation of the principle of 
the machine. In the communication last named it is stated that 
the machine was about to be ‘‘ handed over to the Meteorological 
Office, to be brought immediately into practical work.” 
The model was received at the Office in the course of the 
