376 Scientific Intelligence. 



point for this as well as for other similar metallic compounds.—,/; 

 pr. Ch., II, ii, 469, Dec. 1870. u. f. b. 



6. Synthesis of Oil o/ jRi^e.—GoEUP-BESAXEz and Gnnnt liavc 

 lately succeeded in forming oil of rue synthetically. Starting from 

 the fact first suggested by Hallwachs, and confirmed by Hail)orJt, 



that this oil is a mixed ketone of the formula €0 \ 



since it is oxidized with difiiculty and yields capric acid, they dis- 

 tilled together equal molecules of pure dry calcium eaprate— pre- 

 pared from a Hungarian wine-fusel- oil — and calcium acetate. The 

 mixture melts, swells up, blackens, and evolves at first a fluid smell- 

 ing like acetone, but afterward an oil which solidifies in the neck 

 of the retort. By fractioning this distillate, three products were 

 obtained : one boiling below 200° ; another boiling between 210"^ 

 and 245° ; and a solid body, eaprinon, boiling above 300°. The 

 second fraction was purified by conversion into the double salt of 

 ammonium sulphite, crystallizing from alcohol, and decomposing 

 by sodium carbonate ; a colorless, strongly refracting oil rose to 

 the surface, which when dried, distilled completely between '223° 

 and 224° and had at 17-5° C. a specific gravity of 0-8295. Com- 

 mercial oil of rue, treated in the same manner, afibrded a liquid 

 distilling between 224 and 225*50 and having at 18-7° C. a specific 

 • ' . - - - - ■ ' ble sulphite 



gravity of 0-8281. Analysis of the ammonium double 

 prepared from both, and of the pure oil both artificial and natural, 

 gave the same result. Hence oil of rue consists essentially of 

 methyl-caprinol or nonyl-methyl ketone.— ^er. Bed. Chem. Ges., 

 iii, 518, June, 1870. g. f. b. 



7. On the action of Chlorine upon Aldehyde. A netc Chloral 

 —With the intention of utilizing a waste product coming from 

 the manufacture of aldehyde and consisting of alcohol and al- 

 dehyde essentially, Keamer and Pin^tee undertook its treatment 

 with chlorine to see if it could not be converted into chloral. A 

 flask containing 100 grams was placed in a freezing mixture and 

 a slow stream of dry chlorine passed into it for 24 hours. The 

 mass became thick and nearly doubled in volume. Subjected to 

 distillation the greater portion passed over between 160° and 180 - 

 This was purified by agitation with sulphuric acid and redistiUtd- 

 It passed over between 163° and 165°, forming a colorless oilv 

 liquid, having a strong attraction for water, so that when mixed 

 with it, heat was evolved and the mixture solidified to a crjst.ii- 

 line mass. The same phenomena were noticed on mixing it ^iij 

 alcohol. Analysis gave numbers approaching closely both crotonj 

 chloral and butyl-chloral; the authors are inclined to consider t 

 the former, since Kekule has shown that by removing a m^lecu e 

 of water from two of aldehyde, crotonyl aldehyde results, w \^^^ 

 case, the chlorine first replaces hydrogen in the aldehyde, foniiin= 

 chlorhydric acid, which acid acts to withdraw water and ^'^}^V^^^^ 

 dense the unattacked aldehyde to crotonyl aldehyde, in ^V,^.^^ . 

 further replacements of hydrogen by chlorine occur. This n 



