342 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [October 29, 1670. 
THE CHEMICAL REACTIONS OE CHLORAL 
HYDRATE. 
BY J. F. BROWN. 
Tlie few simple experiments which I have here 
briefly noted were suggested hy the letter of “ F. B. 
in the Journal for October 8th, asking for a list of 
incompatibles with the above-named substance. 
Their results may perhaps fulfil, to some extent, liis 
requirements. 
The sample of the hydrate used was of the ordi¬ 
nary kind, in cakes and fragments of cakes, and 
yielded 70'9 per cent, of chloroform when tested by 
the method proposed by Mr. Urnney in the ‘ Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal,’ p. 107. 
Chloral hydrate, when heated, fuses and boils, 
giving off an acid vapour. 
Treated with strong nitric acid, fumes of nitric 
peroxide, N 2 0 4 , were evolved. On the addition of 
water and an excess of ammonia the usual reaction 
followed, a globule of chloroform collecting at the 
bottom of the tube. 
Half a drachm was readily dissolved by f 5 ss of 
pure alcohol, and no separation resulted on the addi¬ 
tion of water. The hydrate is freely soluble in rec¬ 
tified spirit, and the solution mixes well with dis¬ 
tilled water; but I remember some time since dis¬ 
pensing a mixture containing chloral hydrate, tinc¬ 
ture of orange peel, and water, when on dissolving the 
hydrate in the tincture and adding it to the water, 
a separation took place of numerous oily drops, 
which were with difficulty diffused through the mix¬ 
ture. The sample used on that occasion was ob¬ 
tained from a well-known firm of manufacturing 
chemists, but was strikingly different to any that I 
have seen, either before or since, being in distinct 
transparent, needle-like crystals, very damp, but 
with difficulty soluble in water. . 
Ether dissolves the hydrate hi the same propor¬ 
tion as alcohol, but on adding to the solution five 
times its volume of distilled water a very curious 
separation occurred. It was evident that a stratum 
of heavier liquid was forming at the bottom of the 
tube, but the mode in which this took place was to 
me a novel one. 
Looking attentively at the column of liquid, I 
could perceive an ascending current of tolerably 
large globules. These, when they reached the sur¬ 
face, coalesced, to form a large drop suspended from 
it, which presently parted from its support, much as 
a soap-bubble would have done, and descended 
slowly to the bottom. 
This was repeated until the liquids were com¬ 
pletely separated, and on examining the lower stra¬ 
tum I found it to consist of an ethereal solution of 
chloral. A little exposed in a watch-glass left a 
residuum of dense, oily liquid, which imparted a 
transient greasy stain to paper. 
Glycerine is a good solvent for the hydrate of 
chloral, and the solution mixes with water un¬ 
changed. 
A solution of one part of the hydrate in six of 
water was mixed with different alkaline solutions of 
the same strength (except that of acid carbonate of 
sodium, which was one in twelve) with the following 
results:—Carbonate of potassium induced decompo¬ 
sition at the temperature of the atmosphere 62° F. 
Carbonate of sodium at 100° F. Acid carbonate of 
sodium, acid carbonate of potassium, and car¬ 
bonate of ammonium at 212° F., and only after 
the disengagement of carbonic acid gas, from which 
it may, I think, be inferred that the reaction is due, 
not to the acid salts, but to the neutral compounds 
to which they are reduced by boiling. 
With saccharated solution of lime a white precipi¬ 
tate of hydrate of calcium was obtained. 
With tincture of percliloride of iron a precipitate 
of ferric hydrate. 
With solution of subacetate of lead a white preci¬ 
pitate of hydrated oxide of the metal; and on boil¬ 
ing with solution of silver nitrate, oxide of silver was 
thrown down. 
A solution of tannic acid, at a boiling heat, caused 
the evolution of pungent acid vapours, probably of 
formic acid. 
The solution of the hydrate was apparently un¬ 
affected by sulphuric, acetic or gallic acids, and 
neither in substance nor in solution was it affected by 
iodine or percliloride of mercury. 
May I, in conclusion, express a hope that the 
attention of my fellow-students will be called to tliis 
subject, that my statements may be confirmed or in¬ 
validated by further and more complete experiments. 
Dover, October 2\st, 1870. 
JAVA CINCHONA BARK. 
Some months ago several bales of cinchona bark 
■were imported into Holland from the Dutch planta¬ 
tions in Java. Samples of this bark have been sent 
out by the Handels-Maatschappij in sealed packets 
with the analysis of Professor Gunning. In a recent 
number of the Ncaes Repertorinm fur Pharmacie , 
Herr Jobst describes this bark as consisting of 
larger pieces than the first samples sent over in 
1867 from the English plantations in the Hima¬ 
layas, although in both instances there was a want 
of that fine character presented by the older bark 
from the Andes as regards colour. 
Dr. Henkel, of Tubingen, is now engaged in a 
microscopic examination of this bark, the results of 
which will shortly be published, and Herr Jobst 
gives the following results of liis chemical examina¬ 
tion :— 
No. I. T. P. King’s Bark. 
Containing, according to Professor Gunning, when 
dried at 100° C.— 
Alkaloid soluble in ether . 3’5 p. c. (much quinidine). 
„ insoluble „ . 2'0 „ 
This sample consists of single and double quills 
from 2 to 7 inches long, from the size of a goose- 
quill to 4 an inch in diameter and about 1 line in 
thickness. The pieces are mostly of a dull brown 
colour, with longitudinal cracks and faintly-marked, 
transverse striae, covered with warts at some parts, and 
pale yellow at the interior. Herr Jobst found it con¬ 
tained in all 3‘2 per cent, of alkaloids, much of 
which was concliinine and cinchonine, only a trace 
of quinine and no quinidine, but an amorphous basic 
substance that has not yet been examined. 
Nos. II. and III. T. P. King’s Bark. 
Containing, according to Professor Gunning, when 
dried at 100° C.— 
Alkaloid soluble in ether . 2T p. c. (little quinidine). 
„ insoluble „ . 1*3 „ 
Tliis sample consists of fine, uniform quiffs of a 
grey colour, covered here and there w r ith lichens. 
The quills were 7 inches long, from 5 to 6 lines dia- 
