March 2, 1906.] 



SCIENCE. 



337 



appears to be nucleoproteid or a mixture 

 containing nucleoproteid in large propor- 

 tion. It does not appear to be coagulable. 

 Preliminary tests have failed to show the 

 presence of mucoid in the extracts. 



Nearly ten per cent, of the fresh tissue 

 is indigestible in artificial pancreatic juice, 

 and gelatin is readily obtained from this 

 residue. Only about one per cent, of the 

 fresh tissue remains undissolved in artifi- 

 cial gastric juice. This residue contains 

 nuclein. 



ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 



Wm. L. Dudley, chairman. 



Some Hydrocarhoiis in Louisiana Pe- 

 troleum: G. E. COATES. 

 In the investigation of the petroleum 

 from Jennings, Louisiana, the lighter frac- 

 tions were found to consist of the com- 

 pounds CgHj^, C9H18, C10H18, C11H20, 

 C12H22, etc., all of the series G^H^n-z- "^^^ 

 petroleum is of an asphaltic base and the 

 substances C12H22, CisHa^, etc., seem to be 

 identical with those previously obtained 

 from asphaltum and asphaltic oils. These 

 have been assumed to be derivatives of 

 dihexahydrodiphenyl because C12II22 was 

 the lowest known member. The occurrence 

 of members still lower would seem to make 

 this theory improbable. The series is, 

 therefore, of a constitution as yet unde- 

 termined. 



Diphenylamine Compounds of Chloral: 



A. S. Wheeler. (By title.) 



The Chlor-hydrochlorides of Pinene and 

 Firpene: G. B. Frankforter and F. G. 

 Frary. (By title.) 



Aluminum Phenolate: A. N. Cook. (By 

 title.) 



The Methoxy- and Ethoxydibromphenan- 

 threnes and Some of their Isomers: G. 



B. Frankporter and C. R. Cressy. (By 

 title.) 



Ethyl Oxomalonate and its Behavior to- 

 ward Ammonia: R. S. Curtiss. 

 Ethyl oxomalonate, has always been a 

 costly substance to make in any consider- 

 able quantity. It can be readily prepared 

 with a large yield (95 per cent.) by the 

 action of nitrous anhydride on ethyl malo- 

 nate at a low temperature. The product 

 is purified by vacuum distillation. 



Dry ammonia gas reacts strongly with 

 ethyl oxomalonate, or • with its hydrated 

 form, ethyl dioxymalonate. Under cer- 

 tain exact conditions it produces a white 

 crystalline substance, dioxyiminodimalonic 

 ester. 



HO. 



COoCoHc 



\C<C0,C,H5 

 HO/ COjC^Hj 



This body is very unstable, and dissociates 

 into ammonia and ethyl dioxymalonate if 

 allowed to stand in moist air. The same 

 change occurs rapidly if it is placed in 

 water. 



Note on the Action of Hot Gupric Oxide 



on Sulphuric Ether: J. P. Atkinson and 



H. DuRAND. (By title.) 



We noticed while examining medicinal 

 prescriptions, containing ether, for methyl 

 (wood) alcohol, that we invariably ob- 

 tained a strong formaldehyde reaction, both 

 by odor, Hehner's test, and the morphine- 

 sulphuric acid test. 



Believing that it was impossible that all 

 the prescriptions could be adulterated, we 

 tested samples of pure ether separately, 

 and found that this compound would yield 

 formaldehyde upon oxidation with hot cop- 

 per oxide. _ We have since tested many 

 samples of ether of undoubted purity, 

 manufactured by the best known chemical 

 houses, and have always obtained the same 

 result. 



The reaction can be written as follows: 



^^g" >0 4CuO = 4HCH0 -f 4Cn + H^O. 



