FnBRUAEY 23, 1883.] 



SCIENCE. 



75 



recognized by conversion into alloxantine, and urea 

 was "found in the mother liquors. From bromcaffeine 

 the amido-, ethoxy-, and hydroxy-derivatives were 

 prepared; and from the bromine addition-product of 

 hydroxycaifeine, diethoxyhydroxy- and dimetboxy- 

 hydroxycaffeine. Wlien treated with hydrochloric 

 acid, diethoxybydroxycaffeine was converted into 

 apooaffein, which formed caifuric acid, CgHgNjOr, 

 by boiling with water. By treatment with cold hy- 

 driodic acid, caffuric acid gave hydrocaffuric, from 

 which, by decomposition with barium hydrate, 

 methylbydantoin, methylurea, and carbonic dioxide 

 were obtained. The formation of methyhyldantoin 

 is regarded by the author of great importance in ex- 

 plaining the constitution of caffeine. This substance 

 must contain beside the methylurea residue tlie 

 carbon-nitrogen group of metliylhydantoin. In the 

 preparation of apocafleine, the formation of another 

 substance, hypocafleine, was observed, which gave 

 caffoline, C,, Ht, N,, Oo when warmed with basic ace- 

 tate of lead. Caffoline gave methyhirea by reduction 

 and by oxidation with potassium ferrocyanide, po- 

 tassium permanganate, and chromic acid, respectively 

 methyloxamic acid, dimethyloxamid, and cholestro- 

 phan. The structure of caffoline, based upon the 

 method of its formation and its decomposition-prod- 

 ucts, would be analogous to that of cholestropban, — 

 Caffoline. Cholestropban. 



HO— HC-N — CH:) OC — N — CH;! 



CO 00 



I / I / 



CHs — NH-C = N OC = N-r CH3 



By heating xanthiiie-silver with methyl iodide, a 

 methyl group was introduced with the formation of 

 theobromine; which is, therefore, dimethylxanthine, 

 caffeine being the trimethyl-derivative. The intimate 

 relation existing between the plant bases caffeine 

 and theobromine, and xanthine and guanine, which 

 occur in animal excretions, would seem to indicate 

 that these bodies are formed in organisms by the 

 same chemical process. The following structure- 

 formulae were proposed : — 



(^Jin. der. c/je?ii., 215, 253.) c. F. M. [202 



Synthesis of uric acid. — By heating a mixture 

 of one part glycocol with ten parts urea at 200-230°, 

 Horbaczewski obtained a substance whicli proved to 

 be identical in its composition and reactions with 

 uric acid. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., 15, 

 2678.) c. F. M. [203 



Action of f omric acid on aromatic amines. — 



Results obtained by G. Tobias show that formic-acid 

 derivatives of aniline, 0- and p- toluidine, a- and /3- 

 naphtaline, can be obtained with greater ease than 

 the corresponding acet-compounds. Sodium com- 

 pounds of formortho- and formparatoluidine were ex- 

 amined. — (Berichte deutsch. chem. gesellsch., 15, 

 2443.) c. F. M. [204 



Second anhydride of mannite. — When man- 

 nite was submitted to dry distillation in vacuo, M. 

 Fauconnier observed the formation of a sirupy body 

 having the composition Ce H, „ O7. A study of its 

 reactions showed that it contained no carbon atoms 

 united by more than one bond ; but whether the two 

 remaining hydroxyl groups were primary, secondary, 

 or tertiary, remained to be determined. — (Comptes 

 rendus, 95, 991.) c. F. M. [205 



Some derivatives of morphine. — That mor- 

 phine contains at least one phenyl-hydroxyl group, 

 was shown by M. Grimaux, who converted it into 

 codeine by heating it with sodium ethylate and 

 methyliodide. Codethyline (ethyl morphine) was 

 formed when ethyl iodide took part in this reaction ; 

 and by the use of alkyl iodides, in general, a series 

 of derivatives was suggested. Ethylen dimorphine 

 was obtained with ethylen iodide. When sulphuric 

 acid, in excess, was added to a.solution of morphine in 

 glacial acetic acid with a small quantity of methyal or 

 meyiylenaceto-chlorhydrine, a purple color appeared 

 in the solution, possibly due to the formation of the 

 base CH2C1 ,H] jNOa (methylen morphine). — (Ann. 

 chim.pMjs., 21, 213.) c. F. M. [206 



METALIiUKGY. 



Treatment of copper ores at Spenceville, 

 Cal. — The ore, which is fine-grained pyrites in a 

 sort of chlorite slate, is broken into small lumps to 

 prepare it for roasting before being hoisted to the 

 surface. It is then dumped on a few sticks around a 

 loose brick flue, layers of brush are put on at inter- 

 vals with tlie ore, salt is distributed through the pile, 

 tank residue placed on the top to exclude the air, and 

 the heap is then fired. The period of roasting lasts 

 six months. There are fifty leach-vats, with a capacity 

 of 120 tons of roasted ore ; the leaching is hastened by 

 boiling with steam, and the copper is precipitated by 

 scrap-iron. Forty-two tons of 85% copper cement are 

 shipped monthly; eigjit months' supply of ore is always 

 kept on hand. There are now 12,000 tons roasting. — 

 (Mln. and sc. press, Nov. 18, 1882.) k. h. k. [207 



Bull's process for iron-smelting. — This pro- 

 cess consists in charging the iron-ore and flux, usu- 

 ally limestone, without any solid fuel, gas being used 

 instead ; highly heated air is also introduced in suffi- 

 cient quantity to burn about ten per cent of the gas, 

 and to give high enough heat to melt the charge. 

 The gases rising through the ore are carbonic oxide 

 and hydrogen, with the nitrogen from the air. The 

 usual zone of gasification of the iron-blast furnace is 

 wanting, leaving only the zone of reduction, carbu- 

 rizatiou, and fusion. — (Mia. and sc. press, Nov. IS, 

 1882.) B. H. K. [208 



GEOLOGY. 



Surface geology of tlie vicinity of Balti- 

 more. — The principal features of the Baltimore 

 area, according to P. R. Uhler, are expressed, first, 

 in the hard rocks of the archaean age; second, in 

 broad beds of softer Jurassic rocks ; and, third, in the 

 superficial drift materials. The first series includes 

 the Laurentian system, the chloritic and serpentinic 

 series, and the overlying mica schists and quartzites. 

 These ancient terranes are exposed in plateaus, which 



