884 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[May 10, 1873. 
PREPARATION OF PROPYLAMINE.* 
In IS Union Medicate , March 22, M. E. Perret gives a 
method of preparing propylamine “always pure and good,” 
a good deal of what has been sold under that name being 
apparently nothing more than stinking ammoniacal com¬ 
pounds of different kinds. The proceeding consists in 
setting in fermentation the digestive apparatus of cows, 
calves, sheep or oxen (after having cut it up and washed 
it) with four or at most six times its weight of water, and 
one-fifteenth of carbonate of potash or dry soda, at a tem¬ 
perature of 59° to 64‘5° F. during thirty-two to thirty-six 
hours. The magma is passed through an open wire sieve, 
and to the liquid obtained is added half its volume of 
caustic soda (soap-makers’ lees at 40°). The mixture is 
then put into a retort and distilled very slowly. The 
methylic gas escapes first in great abundance, and the 
mass swells up considerably ; the heat is moderated, and, 
this reaction ended, propylamine mixed, very slightly 
however, with methylic and ammoniacal gases, passes 
over. It is wholly contained in the first eighth part; that 
is to say, if there be eight parts of the solution, all the 
base will be in the first part. It is now saturated with 
hydrochloric acid and the filtered solution is evaporated to 
dryness. The dry hydrochlorate is pounded with three 
times its weight of caustic soda (lees at 40°), then distilled 
in a retort provided with a tube which reaches the sur¬ 
face of distilled water placed in the recipient. The pro¬ 
pylamine dissolves in this, and saturates the water; and, 
when the bubbles pass off at the surface of the water 
without being dissolved in it, the recipient is changed and 
fresh water is employed. This solution is clear, limpid, 
and has an ammoniacal odour, accompanied by a smell of 
brackish water, which is extremely unpleasant, but passes 
off quickly. It furnishes all the reactions described by 
Wertheim, who in 1850 made a research on this base; it 
crystallizes well with acids, forming definite salts with 
four equivalents of water. The salts—sulphates, hydro¬ 
chlorates, and gallates—crystallize with the greatest 
facility in prisms of four flattened planes, and in brilliant 
needles. They have no odour, and a fresh flavour which 
is not disagreeable. 
STJLFHOMOLYBDATE OF AMMONIA AS A TEST 
FOR SOME ORGANIC COMPOUNDS.!- 
BY J. H. BUCKINGHAM. 
Among the latest tests for the detection of morphia, a 
solution of sulphomolybdate of ammonia will be found 
the most delicate. The beautiful blue colour which it 
gives when dropped upon that alkaloid, is indeed a striking 
reaction. It will give, however, a characteristic colour, 
not only with morphia, but also with many other organic 
principles. 
One of the peculiarities which I noticed while making 
my experiments was, that when allowed to stand for any 
length of time in contact with the compound, the solution 
always became blue. This colour was light or dark, ac¬ 
cording to whether or not the solution, when first applied, 
gave a characteristic colour. This change is due to the 
oxidation of the solution, as all salts of molybdic acid or 
its compounds, when heated in contact with air, will 
finally turn blue. This, however, is hastened by the 
contact of some organic matter or any deoxidising agent. 
This test may be prepared by mixing eight grains of 
molybdate of ammonia with two drachms of sulphuric 
acid (chemically pure). The milky solution is then heated 
until it becomes clear, care being taken not to raise the 
heat too high, or a change will take place. 
This solution should be made fresh every time it is 
wanted for use. Small quantities should be used, as 
different results may be obtained by increasing the quan¬ 
tities. 
The following are the reactions with some of the most 
important alkaloids and other principles. 
1. Those which at first produce no colour, but after¬ 
wards change to a light blue. 
Alkaloids, etc. 
First Colour. 
Second Colour. 
Final Change. 
Quinia . . 
Quinidia. . 
Cinchonia . 
Asparagin . 
Strychnia . 
Atropia . . 
Caffeia . . 
Colourless . . 
Do. . . 
Do. . . 
Do. . . 
Do. . . 
Do. . . 
Do. . . 
Light blue. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
2. Those which at first produce a characteristic colour, 
and afterwards, with exception of meconin, change to a 
dark blue. 
Alkaloids, etc. 
First Colour. 
Second Colour. 
Final Change. 
Santonin. . 
Light purple . 
Dark blue. 
Menispennia 
Light yellow . 
. . . , 
Do. 
Solonia . . 
Yellow . . . 
• • • • 
Do. 
Veratria . . 
Yellow green . 
Dark brown 
Do. 
Meconin. . 
Light green . 
Light blue. 
Codeia . . 
Green . . . 
Dark blue. 
Narcotina . 
Yellow green . 
• • • 
Do. 
Phloridzin . 
Dark blue . . 
• • » • 
Permanent. 
Salicin . . 
Purple . . . 
Blue, then 
brown red 
Dark blue. 
Morphia . . 
Dark red . . 
Purple . . 
Do. 
Digitalin. . 
Crimson . . 
Purple . . 
Do. 
Brucia . . 
Aconitia . . 
Brick red . . 
Light yellow 
. . . . 
Do. 
brown . . 
Brown . . 
Do. 
Piperina . . 
Brown red . . 
• • • • 
Do. 
Berberina . 
Purple . . . 
• • • • 
Do. 
Cubebin . . 
Crimson. . . 
.... 
Do. 
This test gives an easy and delicate method of distin¬ 
guishing between strychnia and brucia, and also for 
detecting the adulteration of quinia with either salicin or- 
phloridzin. The first colour produced may be regarded as 
the real reaction, as the final change is due to deoxida¬ 
tion. 
SYNTHESIS OF MARSH-GAS AND FORMIC ACID 
AND THE ELECTRIC DECOMPOSITION 
OF CARBONIC OXIDE.* 
BY SIR B. C. BRODIE, BART., D.C.L., F.R.S., 
Late Waynjlete Professor of Chemistry in the University 
of Oxford. 
In connection with the investigation on the electric de¬ 
composition of carbonic acid gas referred to in a previous 
communication to the Society, I was led to submit a mix¬ 
ture of hydrogen and carbonic oxide gas to the action of 
electricity in the induction-tube, the mixed gases being 
circulated through the tube by means of an apparatus 
winch I will not now describe. A contraction was soon 
observed to have taken place, which at the end of an 
hour amounted to 10 cubic centimetres. The rate of con¬ 
traction steadily diminished, aud during the fifth hour of 
the duration of the experiment amounted to only 2 cubic 
centimetres. The experiment was stopped, and the gas 
analysed with the following results in two several ana¬ 
lyses :— 
I. 
Carbonic oxide . 61 '65 
Hj-drogen . . 32T 6 
Marsh-gas . . 6T4 
II. 
Carbonic oxide . (31 "35 
Hydrogen . . 32'34 
Marsh-gas . . 6'31 
100-00 
100-00 
* From the Medical Record. 
t From the American Journal of Pharmacy. 
* From the Proceedings of the Royal Society. 
