Antiseptic Action of Substances of the Chloramine Group. 239 



of solution in about 90 per cent, yield, and is washed with briue and dried in 

 the ah\ 



K.S0 2 NH 2 + NaCIO = R.S0 2 Na : NCI + H 2 0. 



The products of the action of sodium hypochlorite on proteins referred to 

 in the Table can hardly be regarded as chemical individuals. They were 

 prepared by adding an excess of hypochlorite, with or without addition of 

 sodium bicarbonate, to a solution of the protein. After a short time the 

 chlorinated product was precipitated either by acidification or by salting out 

 with magnesium or sodium sulphate. 



When an excess of sodium hypochlorite is added to blood serum, a certain 

 proportion of the hypochlorite rapidly disappears owing probably to substitu- 

 tion of hydrogen attached to carbon in the various cyclic rings, e.g., tyrosine, 

 tryptophane, histidine. Another portion of the hypochlorite replaces 

 hydrogen attached to nitrogen, and the resulting protein-like substances 

 containing NCI groups when precipitated and washed free from adhering 

 hypochlorite liberate iodine promptly from hydriodic acid. In addition a 

 considerable amount of hydrolysis takes place in the protein-hypochlorite 

 mixture and a certain amount of nitrogen gas is evolved. The formation of 

 aldehydes by the decomposition of the chloramino-acids is also easily 

 noticeable. The reaction between proteins and hypochlorites is a complicated 

 one and will be the subject of further investigation. 



The compound of calcium hypochlorite and hexamethylenetetramine 

 previously referred to was prepared as follows : — A clear filtered solution 

 obtained from 50 grm. of good bleaching powder and 200 c.c. of water is 

 added to a solution of 20 grm. of hexamethylenetetramine in 40 c.c. of 

 water. The mixture is at once cooled, when needle-shaped crystals are 

 deposited and fill the liquid. The crystals are filtered off, washed with a little 

 cold water and dried rapidly in vacuo. The yield is 14 grm. The calcium 

 in this compound can be removed by oxalic acid or carbon dioxide, giving a 

 faintly green solution with marked bleaching properties. The substance 

 decomposes rapidly on keeping for two or three weeks. 



Analyses of freshly prepared specimens showed that almost all the chlorine 

 was in the hypochlorite form and that the ratio of chlorine to nitrogen was 

 exactly 2 : 4. The proportion of calcium in the undehydrated substance 

 (l4 - 7 per cent.) was always too high for the simple formula 



(CH 2 ) 6 N"4.Ca(OCl) 2 . (Ca = 141 per cent.) 



The ability of hexamethylenetetramine to form complex salts is well known, 

 and this may account for the excess of calcium. 



