March 30, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
787 
THE CONVERSION OF GLUCOSE INTO MON¬ 
ATOMIC AND HEXATOMIC ALCOHOLS.* 
BY M. G. BOUCHAItDAT. 
In further investigating the decomposition that takes 
[place in the formation of dulcite in a solution of in¬ 
verted sugar of milk hy the action of sodium amalgam, f 
•the author has found the reaction to he a very complex 
• one. Independently of the hexatomic alcohol (dulcite), 
there are formed under the influence of the nascent 
hydrogen a certain quantity of monatomic alcohols, 
among which have been recognized ordinary alcohol 
<(C 2 H 6 0), isopropylic alcohol (C 3 H 8 0), and finally a 
hexylic alcohol (C 6 H 14 0), identical with that from which 
Erlenmeyer and Wanklyn have prepared hydriodic 
■•ether by distilling mannite or dulcite with hydriodic 
acid. M. Bouchardat’s experiments have been extended 
.to glucose, sugar of milk, and inverted sugar of milk. 
Glucose .—A solution made by boiling 500 grams of 
.glucose in five or six litres of water was brought in con¬ 
tact with amalgam, containing 3 per cent, of sodium, in 
-a wide-mouthed flask fitted with a tube passing into 
water to collect the volatile products. The reaction 
• commenced at once, with a slight elevation of tempera¬ 
ture. When the liquid commenced to change from a 
brown to an amber colour, it was neutralized exactly 
with dilute sulphuric acid. Heat was then applied until 
.•about one-fifth of the original volume had passed over, 
and this product was twice redistilled, rejecting each 
time about a tenth of the liquid placed in the retort. 
An oily layer was then found floating on the top, which 
was separated from the ■ water, and treated with an 
•oxcess of crystallized carbonate of potash. 
The volatile product so obtained was first distilled 
•over baryta, and then submitted to fractional distilla¬ 
tion, when it was found to consist of a mixture of ordi¬ 
nary ethylic alcohol, isopropylic alcohol, and a hydrate 
of a hexylic alcohol, corresponding to the idriodic ether 
•obtained by Erlenmeyer and Wanklyn by the action of 
hydriodic acid upon mannite. This, the least volatile, 
jpassed over at 138° C. to 145° C., and the residue then 
left in the retort yielded, after separation of the sulphate 
-of soda, a large proportion of mannite. 
Sugar of milk (lactine), treated in a similar manner, 
yielded volatile products identical with the foregoing. 
’The residue, separated from the sulphate of soda, depo¬ 
sited crystals having the same composition and form as 
natural dulcite (C 6 H 14 0 G ). 
The residue from inverted sugar of milk, treated with 
rammoniacal subacetate of lead, and the precipitate 
washed and decomposed in water by sulphuretted hy¬ 
drogen, filtered and evaporated, deposited crystals con¬ 
sisting of dulcite and another body having all the cha¬ 
racteristics of pure mannite. 
It appears from these results that milk-sugar is a 
•compound analogous to cane-sugar, which can be decom¬ 
posed into two kinds of glucose, one giving by hydro¬ 
genation dulcite, and by oxidation mucic acid; the other 
yielding by hydrogenation mannite. The alcoholic 
-compounds furnished in each case are the same, viz. ordi¬ 
nary alcohol, isopropylic alcohol and hexylic alcohol. 
THE POTASH, SODA AND MAGNESIA COMPOUNDS 
IN THE ROCK SALT DEPOSITS OF STASSFURT.* 
The most interesting and important mineral deposits 
of recent discovery are those of the salt works at Stass- 
furt, in Prussia. They have produced quite a revolution 
in domestic economy, giving to the chloride of potassium, 
which is found at a depth of a thousand feet, a great 
■commercial value. This, with other peculiar salts, was 
* See ante, p. 566. f Compt. Rend. vol. lxxii. p. 1008. 
J Read before the Polytechnic Association, January 12th, 
5.872, by Dr. Lewis Feuchtwanger, and accompanied with 
the exhibition of the saline products of the different strata. 
discovered accidentally by the chemist H. Rose in the 
waste of the salt mine. The matter was at first lightly 
esteemed, the chloride of potassium being even regarded 
as a nuisance ; but it is now thrice as valuable as the 
rock salt, which was formerly the only product sought. 
Over 30,000 tons have been extracted and sold in Ger¬ 
many, France and England; 3000 tons were brought 
last year to the United States to be used in manufac¬ 
turing saltpetre, by converting the chloride of potassium 
into the nitrate. 
Pearl-ashes and pot-ashes were formerly exported 
from the United States to all foreign countries; but 
our forests are getting cleared, and these products are 
no longer largely prepared. Sweden likewise has failed 
to supply France and England with vegetable ashes; 
and the development at this juncture of the great potash 
mineral deposits of Stassfurt is a striking providence. 
The salt deposits of that locality underlie the new red 
sandstone of the triassic period (called the Hunter sand- 
stein), and comprise four distinct levels, having a thick¬ 
ness of nearly 1000 feet. Beginning at the lowest level 
we find:— 
1. Anhydrite (sample shown). The hed comprises 
rock-salt and sulphate of lime, which is anhydrous; 350 
feet in thickness. 
2. Polyhalite , 100 feet in depth, elsewhere frequently 
of brick red colour, but in this locality white. It is 
composed of sulphate of potash, lime and magnesia ; has 
a weak, bitter taste and fibrous appearance, and is here 
likewise imbedded in rock-salt. 
3. Kieserite , a sulphate of magnesia, associated with 
salt. The bed is 75 feet in thickness, and has carnallite 
also in the gangue. 
4. Carnallite , the potash salt of greatest value. It is 
properly a double chloride of magnesium and potassium, 
associated with the rock-salt in the following propor¬ 
tions :— 
50 per cent, of the potash salt. 
25 ,, ,, magnesia salt. 
25 ,, ,, rock salt. 
5. Tachhydrite, an amorphous salt, composed of chloride 
of calcium and magnesium. 
6. Sylvite , a pure chloride of potassium. 
7. Kainite contains the hydrated chloride of potassium 
and sulphate of magnesia. 
8. Poracite, a borate of magnesia, but in this locality 
containing more of borate of lime. It is amorphous, 
and unlike the boracite crystals found in the gypsum of 
Luneburg, in Germany. It resembles more the Rayesine 
of Peru. This mineral has also been called Stassfur- 
tite. It is found below the carnallite and only at one 
locality. 
The extent of the great mass of carnallite, which is of 
a flesh-red colour, has been proved by exploration to be 
equal to 6,000,000 tons of chloride of potassium. 
It is quite remarkable that the salts found below the 
proper salt stratum are mostly hydrated, while the salt 
and anhydrite are anhydrous. The salt-beds in a large 
body cover the surface, and on passing downward we 
meet with the different strata in the following order 
kainite, carnallite, sylvite, kieserite, polyhalite, anhy¬ 
drite with rock-salt. 
These deposits have been found also in shafts sunk at 
Anhalt, half a mile distant from Stassfurt. 
Caustic potash and carbonate of potash are produced 
extensively from the chloride. 
There are five products prepared for the trade from 
these saline materials : 1, chloride of potassium , 2, sul¬ 
phate of potash; 3, carbonate of potash ; 4, sulphate of 
soda; 5, potash compounds to be used as manuies. lo 
these must be added bromine and bromides. 
The carnallite, which is the mam substance yielding 
the chloride of potassium, is treated m the following 
manner —The crude mass contains 16 per cent, of the 
latter salt. By treating it with a limited quantity of 
water, a hot solution is formed, containing the chloride 
