SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
91 
result, whicli are then given at full length ; hut the explanation is too long* 
to admit of further abstract. 
The German Chemical Societij of Berlin. — In a late number of its journal 
(Xo. 17, 1872) there is an address, published by Dr. Liebreich, congratu- 
lating the President (Dr. A. W. Hofmann) and the members of the society on 
the fifth anniversary of the foundation of this society, already one of the 
most successful scientific societies established in Germany. The speaker 
gives a review of the history of the past lustrum, and pays a well-deserved 
tribute to Dr. A. W. Hofmann, to whose energy the success of the society is 
in a great measure due. Dr. Oppenheim proposed that a subscription list 
should be opened for the benefit of the orphans of the late J. C. Brough. 
The amount subscribed up to November 18 was 158 thalers = 23?. 14s. Of 
course this will increase, and we trust, with the collection now being made 
in London, will eventually amount to a handsome sum. 
JVhat is Noctihicine? — It is the substance, according to Dr. Phipson’s 
recent researches, which produces the peculiar luminous appearance that cer- 
tain animals seem to present, espec'ally the glow-worm and the medusoids. 
At the ordinary summer temperature noctiiucine is a semi-fluid, almost 
liquid substance, containing nitrogen ; it is white, and in its natural state 
contains a considerable amount of water ; it has a slight odour, resembling 
that of caprylic acid ; it is only slightly soluble in water, and is somewhat 
lighter than this liquid ; it is insoluble in alcohol and ether, and is decom- 
posed by acids and alkalies. Nitric acid easily dissolves and decomposes it ; 
sulphuric acid, also, and potash evolves ammonia from it. In fermenting, 
in contact with water, it produces an odour of putrid cheese; as long as it 
is moist, it absorbs oxygen and evolves carbonic acid in the air. When left 
to itself it dries up, in the course of a few hours, to thin, shining, translu- 
cent films, quite devoid of structure, and resembling the mucine of the 
common garden snail. 
Dulcitamine, a new base from Dulcite, — In a late number of the Comptes 
Eendus,” M. Bouchardat states that he has succeeded in obtaining an or- 
ganic base containing oxygen, by acting upon one part of dulcite mono- 
chlorydrin with ten parts of alcohol saturated with ammonia gas, for six 
hours, at 100°. The chlorydrate of the new base — which the author calls 
dulcitamine — is dissolved in absolute alcohol, from which it crystallises out 
in long needles on the gradual addition of ether. It is freely soluble in al- 
cohol and water, insoluble in ether ; its solution in water is neutral and 
tastes sweetish. Treated with silver oxide, it yields free dulcitamine, as a 
powerful base, easily displacing ammonia from its combinations, blueing 
strongly red litmus paper, and attracting carbonic acid from the air. 
Analysing compound Ethers. — There is a dispute between Dr. Wanklyn and 
Dr. Dupr5 as to the claim to one of the above processes. The latter has 
written a letter to the Chemical News ” of October 4, stating that one of 
the processes for analysing compound ethers, brought before the British 
Association at its late meeting, by Prof. Wanklyn, viz. heating the ethers 
with an alkali and estimating the amount of alcohol liberated, has already 
been described by himself as long ago as the year 1867, and will be found 
fully explained in the “ Journal of the Chemical Society ” of that year, as 
also in the work on Wine ” by Dr. Thudicum and Dr. Dupre. 
