Antiseptic Action of Substances of the Chloramine Group. 241 



Leucine gave oily isovaleric aldehyde which was identified by conversion 

 into the nitro-phenylhydrazone. 



Amino-phenylacetic acid and methylamino-phenylacetic acid both gave 

 large quantities of benzaldehyde, which for purposes of identification was 

 converted into the phenylhydrazone, crystallising from alcohol in needles, 

 M.P. 159°, and into the nitro-phenylhydrazone, M.P. 192°. In each case the 

 aldehyde obtained contained one less carbon atom than the amino-acid 

 taken, and it is clear that the reaction proceeds according to the following 

 scheme : — 



K.CH(NH 2 ).COOH + CH 3 .C 6 H 4 .S0 2 Na : NCI = 



E.CH(NHCl).COONa + CH 3 .C 6 H 4 .S0 2 .NH 2 . 

 E.CH(NHCl).COONa + H 2 = K.CHO + C0 2 + NaCl + NH 3 . 



The similarity between this reaction and the oxidation of amino-acids with 

 hypochlorite has already been noted. 



Tryptophane. — When ^-toluene sulphochloramide is added to tryptophane 

 a blue-violet substance soluble in amyl alcohol, and closely resembling the 

 coloured product of the Hopkins glyoxylic acid reaction is obtained. 



Blood Scrum. — When chloramine dissolved in water is left in contact with 

 blood serum at the ordinary temperature for 2-3 weeks and the product 

 distilled, the distillate gives the colour reactions for both formaldehyde and 

 acetaldehyde, and a crystalline phenylhydrazone, melting indefinitely at 

 135-150°, which is probably a mixture of the phenylhydrazones of the two 

 aldehydes (130° and 178°). 



Stability of p-Tohiene Sodium Sulphochloramide. — Eeference has already 

 been made to the remarkable stability of toluene sodium sulphochloramide 

 in solution as evidence of the non-dissociation of sodium sulphochloramides 

 into sulphonamides and sodium hypochlorite. The following Table contains 

 the results of some of these observations, which were made with p-toluene 

 sodium sulphochloramide. This substance was chosen since, on account of 

 its practical applications, the information was of special value. The concen- 

 trations of the solutions were determined by titration with decinormal 

 sodium thiosulphate after addition of potassium iodide and acetic acid. It 

 will be seen that the rate of decomposition of the solutions in the dark is 

 inappreciable after 132 days, while solutions exposed to daylight showed 

 a slight but trivial loss of strength. Two other points which may be 

 of practical value may be mentioned. ^-Toluene sodium sulphochloramide 

 should not be left in long contact with steel instruments, since, as would be 

 expected, the metal is attacked. In order to see if clean surgical gauze 

 would cause decomposition of the sulphochloramide, a solution containing 



