106 
Specimens of Anthracene, Artificial Alizarine, and Dye 
Fabrics were exhibited. 
Dr. Schunck, F.R.S., remarked that the practical success 
of the new process would in a great measure depend on the 
price of the raw material, anthracene, and on the amount 
of colouring matter to be obtained from it. The process 
itself was, however, as far as the few experiments he had 
made allowed him to judge, a very simple and easy one, re- 
quiring the use of no costly materials. He was convinced 
himself that the artificial product was identical with the 
natural alizarine of madder, the only difference being that 
the former was generally contaminated with some impurity 
which prevented its crystallising easily. Purpurine was not 
formed along with alizarine, as had been supposed. He also 
exhibited to the meeting some specimens of Turkey-red dyed 
with artificial alizarine, which had been sent to him by Mr. 
Perkin, and stated that the latter had already manufactured 
several tons of the new product. 
In connection with this subject Dr. Schunck referred to a 
notice contained in the last number of the Chemical News, 
giving an account of a process for preparing pure alizarine 
from Turkey-red dyed cotton. The author, M. Schiitzenber- 
ger, does not state that the process is new, though he seems 
to claim it as his own. Almost the same process was 
however described many years ago by Dr. Schunck, who 
claims indeed to have been the first to point out that Turkey 
red, madder pink, and all the finer madder colours are simply 
compounds of alizarine and fatty acids with bases. The 
experiments on which this conclusion was founded were 
described in the edition of Ures Dictionary of Arts, pub- 
lished in 1859, under the heads of “Madder' - '’ and “ Turkey 
Red,” but the experiments themselves were made at a much 
earlier date. 
“ On the Organic Matter of Human Breath in Health 
and Disease,” by Dr. Arthur Ransome, M.A. 
The vapour of the breath was condensed in a large glass 
