Scientific Intelligence. 



I of Phenylic into Rosalie add, and some 



ors on Wool and Silk ; by Balthan Binder. (Communicated by the 

 author). — Experimenting with some of the bases contained in coal-tar, 

 and more especially in an endeavor to procure decomposition of phenylic 

 acid into benzole, I obtained the following results, which I deem suffi- 

 ciently interesting and new to communicate. To decompose the phenylic 

 acid as above, 1 proposed to bring sulpho-phenylic acid into contact with 

 hydrogen in its nascent state, as follows: to the acid placed in a retort, 

 to which a receiver was connected with an intervening refrigerator, was 

 added a quantity of granulated zinc; reaction was engendered by gradu- 

 ally raising the temperature in the retort to 30°, 60°, 90°, 120°, 150° 

 Centigrade, until reaction ceased, after ten hours; reaction was active 

 with disengagement of sulphurous acid, hydrogen and sulphureted hy- 

 drogen. Compared to the quantity of sulpho-phenylic acid employed, 

 but a small quantity of a colorless oily liquid, with some water, conden- 

 sed in the receiver, and this, in lieu of benzole, had all the properties of 

 phenylic acid. In the retort remained a black resinous-looking substance, 



of barium in excess added and the temperature raised to boiling. The 

 solution, at first dirty-looking, assumed a brilliant rose color, a disen- 

 gagement of sulphureted hydrogen taking place with a precipitate of sul- 

 phate of baryta and sulphuret of zinc and an insoluble organic substance. 

 The solution after filterino- and slight oversaturation with acetic or mun- 

 ' -" . > ■ ^ '.stance, which when 



^ , ^... metallic reflection. 



This was further purified bv re-dislolving with hvdrate of baryta (other 

 alkalies will of course serv^ the same purpose) in\vater and re-precpita- 

 tPrl T. ^;.=.l.«. v.o.lil,, ,-., alcohol or wood-naphtha, slightly in cold, more 

 ■ - 1 arid dried, is of a bright da.-k ^^^^^""^^ 

 shade, in thin layers of an orange red when viewed with transmitted 

 light; its watery solutions tinge wool and silk of a bright orange color, 

 and the shades thus obtained being saturated with various alkalies, w" 

 produce orange-red, purplish-red to crimson shades, of very ^*"^.^'^! 

 grades. While this salt directly applied will not dye fast colors, to jutJ^ 

 from the chemical properties of' this substance, I believe it to be identical 

 with rosalic acid, or at least a modification of it. 



June 29, 1862. 



9. On the transformation of Phenate into Rosalate of Ltrne ; by J|- 

 Binder. (Communicated by the author).— Referring to my fo'-m^'" ^^^^ 

 cle, on the presumed conversion of phenylic into rosalic acid, I have si 

 observed that phenate of lime placed over concentrated (not f»°l'^=^ 

 sulphuric acid in a confined space (under a bell glass) for the space ot ^^^^ 



air no trace of such change is observed. The salts thus fo'™^^,.^^ 

 readily separated by diluting with warm water, and saturating ^"^ '' 

 with hydrochloric acid, when the phenylic acid will rise to the surtat r 

 while the rosalic acid precipitates. The first can be decanted from Q 

 munate of lime, the remainder filtered, the latter will remain on m 



atic acid precipitates a flocculent 



iling water; when purified and dried, is of a bright dark amoipu^^" 

 with slight greenish metallic lustre; its powder is of a dark ^red 



