244 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XXIV. No. 



desirable, and the more so because of a 

 strong probability of a variation in com- 

 position with changing conditions of for- 

 mation. Experiments were, therefore, 

 made, operating with known quantities of 

 carbon disulphide dissolved in pure benzol, 

 to ascertain the desired ratio under given, 

 easily -realized conditions. An average of 

 1.0:1.750 was found. The factors most 

 strongly influencing the ratio, as far as 

 studied, are size of the xanthate precipitate 

 (the CS2 present) and the time of its ex- 

 posure to the mother liquors. By adhering 

 to definite conditions very satisfactory an- 

 alytical results are obtainable. 



(2) Determination of Total Sulphur in 

 Benzol. — The determination is accom- 

 plished by volatilization of the sample in a 

 current of hydrogen and combustion of the 

 vapors in an atmosphere of oxygen. The 

 products of combustion are passed into a 

 suitable absorption medium and the sul- 

 phur determined by familiar methods, A 

 new form of apparatus for the combustion 

 is described. The essential feature is the 

 vertical combustion tube, 35 mm. in di- 

 ameter and 170 mm. long. This is sup- 

 plied with oxygen at the upper end, the 

 products of combustion leaving at the bot- 

 tom. The vapors are admitted by the 

 burner-tube inserted through a horizontal 

 arm in the center of the tube. Diametric- 

 ally opposite is a similar arm carrying a 

 pilot-flame tube. The flame, of hydrogen, 

 is placed close to the burner-tip and serves 

 to ignite the vapors at once upon their 

 arrival, and further permits, evidently, the 

 reestablishment of the combustion should it 

 be accidentally or necessarily interrupted 

 for a few moments. About 5 grams of ben- 

 zol may be burned in three hours. Entire- 

 ly satisfactory determinations were found 

 possible. Samples with as much as 5 per 

 cent. CS2, and doubtless more, are readily 

 handled with success. Insuring perfect 



and convenient combustion, the apparatus 

 could be extended in its application to gases 

 and vapors of whatever description. Fuel 

 and illuminating gases are here in mind. 

 It could further doubtless be made to lend 

 itself in many instances advantageously to 

 sulphur determinations in the ultimate an- 

 alysis of organic compounds. 



The Technical Determination of Benzol in 

 Illuminating Gas: D. A. Morton. 

 Examination of the method of Dennis 

 and O'Neill for the determination of ben- 

 zene in illuminating gas {Jour. Amer. 

 Ghem. 80c. , 1903, p. 503) shows that the 

 results are low, and unless the reagent be 

 freshly prepared for each test, not even 

 approximately correct. Moreover, the ab- 

 sorbent (ammonium nickel nitrate solu- 

 tion) dissolves benzene only to the same 

 extent as pure water, showing that the 

 presence of nickel compound has no influ- 

 ence. As a practical method for the de- 

 termination of benzol in coal gases, absorp- 

 tion by means of concentrated sulphuric 

 acid is recommended. By the use of this 

 reagent a good separation of benzol from 

 ethylene is effected. 



BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY, 



Waldemar Koch, Chairman. 



The Phosphorous Gontent of Feces Fat: 



J. H. Long. 



It is stated in many works on physiolog- 

 ical chemistry that lecithins and similar 

 bodies are either absent or present only in 

 traces in the fat extracted from feces. In a 

 previous paper the author pointed out that 

 an organic phosphorous compound of the 

 lecithin type may be sometimes present in 

 relatively large amounts. In the present 

 paper the results are given of the analyses 

 of feces fat from seven individuals in which 

 the phosphorous content was found to vary 

 within wide limits. This phosphorus was 

 in organic combination and apparently in a 



