87 G 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 27, 1872. 
The President (Mr. E. Davies, F.C.S.), then read a 
paper on “Artificial Alizarine,” of which the following 
is an abstract:— 
Modern chemistry is characterized by the special im¬ 
portance given to synthesis. Since urea was formed 
artificially efforts have constantly been made to imitate 
the work of nature, and build up by chemical art the 
products found in vegetables and plants. A large mea¬ 
sure of success has attended these investigations, and not 
only are we year by year getting more mastery over this, 
at one time thought hopeless field of work, but in the 
examination of the substance to be imitated we get more 
knowledge of it. Particularly was this the case with 
alizarine; misled by inaccurate analysis experimenters 
were working in the wrong direction, until Messrs. 
Graebe and Liebermann began by getting a clear insight 
into the constitution of alizarine, and then knowing 
what had to be done, they, by a brilliant application of 
theory, obtained what may be considered to be the 
greatest triumph which chemistry can boast for many 
years past. Alizarine, the colouring principle of madder, 
lias been the subject of many investigations, but from 
the difficulty of getting it pure the analyses were not 
concordant, and the formulae proposed for its composition 
were not only varied, but, as it turns out, all wrong. 
Schunck believed it to be C 14 H 10 O 4 , which is only in error 
by having 2 H too many. Strecker believed” it to be 
C\oH«0 3 . 
Grachc and Liebermann treated pure natural alizarine 
with powdered zinc. This reducing agent produced a 
hydrocarbon C 14 H 10 , which was proved to be identical 
with anthracene—a solid body contained in the best pro¬ 
ducts of the distillation of coal tar. Having thus got 
anthracene from alizarine, the next step was to make 
alizarine from anthracene. They proved by their ex¬ 
periment, above-mentioned, that alizarine had not the 
composition assigned to it. It was almost certain that 
it was really C 14 H s 0 4 , and on this assumption, which has 
turned out to be correct, they worked. In 1861, Pro¬ 
fessor Anderson, of Glasgow University, had studied 
the anthracene compounds, and found that by the long- 
continued action of dilute HN0 3 , specific gravity 1*2, a 
crystalline body was formed, to which he gave the name 
of oxanthracene C 14 Hg0 2 . This is now called anthra¬ 
quinone for the following reason: from quinic acid con¬ 
tained in Peruvian bark a substance, quinone, C 6 H 4 0 2 , f s 
obtained. This is derived from benzol, C G H G by replace¬ 
ment of 2H by _ 20,_ one O partly saturated by the 
other 0. Quinonic acid, CgHjOj, is obtained by action of 
of potash on quinone. In like manner, wo have C I4 II 10 
(anthracene), and C 14 II 8 0 2 (anthraquinone), and Graebe 
and Liebermann assumed that alizarine was the cor¬ 
responding quinonic acid. Alizarine is an acid, and 
may be called alizaric or anthraquinonic acid. The first 
method adopted was to convert anthraquinone, C l4 H 8 0 2 , 
into bibromanthraquinone by the action of Br. This 
gave. C 14 H c Br 2 0. 2 , and by heating with concentrated 
solution of KHO the Br was replaced by KO, forming’ 
H g Oo (IvO)o. This was decomposed by HOI savin 0, 
C lf H G 0 2 (H0) 2 , or alizarine. ° 
This method was, however, too expensive for practical 
purposes, owing to the high price of bromine, and the 
original inventors, together with Air. Perkin, the in¬ 
ventor of mauve, worked in another direction. The 
anthraquinone was converted by the action of H 2 S0 4 
into disulphoanthraquinonic acid C 14 II G 0 2 j j j 
Potash then converted this into alizarine. The ali¬ 
zarine thus produced is in all respects similar to natural 
alizarine. The crystals are red needles in both cases, 
both give the same colour with K HO, and dye mor¬ 
danted fabrics of the same colours, and equally fast. 
Cupric acetate.gives the same purple colouration to the 
alcoholic solution; the absorption-bands in each are the 
same. 
Anthracene is found to the extent of half per cent in 
coal tar, but it appears probable that a much larger 
amount may be obtained by the regulation of the heat 
in making gas. The importance of this discovery is 
seen at once on referring to some statistics of Dr. Roscoe. 
in a recent lecture, where he shows that the annual pro¬ 
duction of madder is about 47,500 tons, worth £45 per 
ton, equal to £2,150,000. Of this we take about half, so 
that about £1,000,000 annually represents the sum which 
we pay to foreign countries for a substance which wo may 
in future prepare at home. It is used at present for 
Turkey red dye, and some other styles of madder dye¬ 
ing. 
A vote of thanks to Air. Davies for his interesting" 
paper closed the proceedings. 
TYNESIDE CHEAIISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ ASSOCIA¬ 
TION. 
At the rooms of the above Society, Air. R. H. Rowell, 
Chemist, of Houghton-le-Spring, delivered a lecture on 
“ Chemical Affinity.” 
There was a large attendance of members present, and. 
the lecture, which was illustrated by a variety of experi¬ 
ments, was highly appreciated by the audience. 
At its close some discussion arose, the chief speakers 
being Air. B. S. Proctor and Air. Simpson; after which 
a hearty vote of thanks was proposed by Air. Shaw,.. 
seconded by Air. AIarsiiall, and carried unanimously. 
Air. Rowell responded in a few suitable remarks. 
|p ramimttp of BdtvMt j&omfits. 
CHEAIICAL SOCIETY. 
Thursday, April 18th. The President, Dr. Frank- 
land, F.R.S., who occupied the chair, announced the 
presence of Professor Himly, of Kiel, and of Professor 
Eschenburg as visitors. 
After the usual business of the Society, the Secretary 
read two papers by Air. E. A. Letts: “ On Benzyl 
Isocyanate and Cyanurate,” and “On a Compound of 
Sodium and Glycerine.” 
Professor Himly, who spoke in German, then gave an 
account of a new method of determining the carbonic 
acid in sea water, and of an apparatus for collecting the 
water at great depths, which could be immersed to the 
required distance below the surface, and there closed by 
means of stopcocks. These are turned by powerful 
springs, released at the proper moment by an electro¬ 
magnet. 
There was also a short note by Dr. E. T. Thorpe, “ On 
the Action of Phosphorus Pentasulphide on Tetrachlo¬ 
ride of Carbon;” and another, “ On the Degree of Solu¬ 
bility of Silver Chloride in Strong Nitric Acid,” by the 
same author. 
Dr. Hofmann, F.R.S., then gave a brief account of 
the new phosphorus basis which he had recently obtained 
by the action of alcoholic iodides on iodide of pliosphonium 
in the presence of zinc oxide; and illustrated his remarks 
by several striking experiments. 
The meeting was then adjourned until Thursday, 2nd 
Alay, when Air. E. Riley will deliver a lecture on “ The 
Alanufacture of Iron and Steel.” 
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF PIIARAIACY. 
At the Pharmaceutical Aleeting of this College on 
Alarch 19tli, a paper was read on the “ Strength of the 
Officinal Tincture of Opium,” by Air. A. Shryock ; and 
one on the “ Amount of Aloisture contained in Dried 
Drugs,’ by Air. G. AY. Kennedy. 
Professor Parrish presented, on behalf of Alessrs. 
Cramer and Small, a specimen of fixed oil, obtained 
from 15 lb. of nux vomica, in the process for making; 
