CHAPTEE XIX. 



CARBON COMPOUNDS (co«/Mi«crf)— CHLOEOFORM— CAEBONIC OXIDE- 

 METHYL ALCOHOL— ETHYL ALCOHOL— AMYLIC ALCOHOL— GLY- 

 CEEINE (TEI-HYDRIC ALCOHOL)— ETHER— MEECAPTAN—FOEMIC 

 ALDEHYDE— ACETIC ACID— OXALIC ACID. 



114. Chloroform, CHCI3. — Preparation. — Heat in a retort bleach- 

 ing powder 10 lb., slaked lime 3 lb., ordinary alcohol 2 lb., water 6 

 gallons. The reaction commences at 80° C, and when the heat is lowered 

 continues. Chloroform distils. The operation is stopped when 0-3 

 gallons of liquid has been collected. The liquid separates into two 

 layers, the heaviest of which is chloroform. 



Properties. — Chloroform is a colourless, very fluid liquid, with a 

 sweet, pleasant odour, and a sharp, saccharine taste. It is only 

 slightly soluble in water, but very soluble in alcohols. Chloroform is 

 a powerful caustic ; applied on the skin it irritates it to vesication 

 and produces local anaesthesia ; its anaesthetic action is due to a 

 muscular paralysis of the heart. An atmosphere containing 4 per 

 cent of chloroform is irrespirable. It is deadly at 8 per cent. 



Action on Plants. — Its action resembles that of ether. Coupin 

 submitted seeds to the action of chloroform vapours, and found that 

 the dry seeds did not suffer in an atmosphere saturated with chloro- 

 form. It is quite otherwise with moist seeds, the protoplasm of which 

 already shows some action. They are very sensitive to chloroform, and 

 an atmosphere containing 0-037 per cent (3-7 grammes) in 10 litres 

 of air is deadly. Wheeler made different trials to disinfect seed-corn 

 by the vapours of ammonia, formol, and chloroform. He found grain 

 stood the action of ammonia for twenty minutes, formol sixty minutes, 

 and chloroform ten minutes, without losing their germinative capacity. 

 Chloroform has a very peculiar action on the growth of plants. 

 Mrs. Latham found that chloroform stimulated the growth up to a 

 certain concentration and then slackened it. Kegel found on Elodea 

 that the stimulating action of chloroform is only shown between 0-4 and 

 0-7 per cent, but that above or below these strengths growth is retarded. 



[Blooming by Chloroform. — Professor Johannsen, of Copen- 

 hagen, has been chloroforming plants, and with marvellous results. 

 He discovered that plants treated with anaesthetics were stimulated 

 into extx-aordinary growth. His method is this : — 



Lilies of the valley, azaleas, lilacs, and other dormant plants are 

 placed in an air-tight box, to the lid of which is affixed a small vessel 

 filled with chloroform. This, being heavier than air, settles down and 

 mingles with the plants. At the end of forty-eight hours the specimens 

 are taken out and grown in the ordinary manner. 

 (311) 



