Jane 29,1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
1045 
SULPHYDRATE OF CHLORAL. 
BY M. H. BYASSON.* 
If anhydrous chloral he submitted to a current of 
dry sulphuretted hydrogen, at ordinary temperature, 
the gas is absorbed; and if the current be sufficiently 
rapid, there is a sensible amount of heat produced. 
In a short time the liquid anhydrous chloral becomes 
nearly solid; and in order to complete the reaction 
it is necessary to raise the delivery tube so as to be 
level with the surface. At the end of about twenty- 
four hours the reaction is terminated. The substance 
formed is completely solid, white, but presenting on 
its surface some portions coloured reddish-yellow. 
By purifying this substance, first by distillation, and 
afterwards by crystallization from ether or absolute 
alcohol, pure sulphydrate of chloral is obtained, 
presenting the following characters:—It is white, 
has a very disagreeable odour, and a peculiar 
taste, which recalls that of chloral hydrate. It 
crystallizes, by slow evaporation of its solution 
in ether, anhydrous alcohol and chloroform, 
either in rhomboidal plates or in four-sided right 
prisms. It melts at about 77° C., and boils at 123° C., 
under a pressure of 0'7385. It evaporates simi¬ 
larly to camphor, and its vapours will darken mois¬ 
tened paper impregnated with a soluble salt of lead 
at a great distance. It is soluble in all proportions 
in anhydrous alcohol, ether, and chloroform. In 
the presence of water it is slowly decomposed, with 
a deposit of sulphur, the formation of sulphuretted 
hydrogen, which is given off, hydrochloric acid and 
chloral hydrate, which are found in the water, and a 
small quantity of a liquid which is deposited and 
has the appearance of tetrachloride of carbon. It 
is certain that in the presence of water the reaction 
is very complex, because the sulphuretted hydrogen 
exercises its reducing action upon the compound 
C 4 HCI 3 O.,, fas is shown by the deposit of sulphur 
and the formation of hydrochloric acid and chloride 
of carbon. 
Under the influence of the hydrated alkalies or 
solution of ammonia, the reaction in the cold is 
rapid; the liquid is coloured yellowish-brown, and 
chloroform is deposited. The solution contains 
sulphydrate of sulphide of the alkaline metal and 
formiate, and chloride of the same base. This reac¬ 
tion, analogous to that presented by chloral hydrate, 
and in which the formation of the chloride is secon¬ 
dary, may be represented by the following equa¬ 
tion :— 
C,HC1 3 0o,2HS + 2 (KO,HO) = C 2 HC1 3 + 
C 2 HK0 4 > KS,HS + 2 HO.f 
Submitted to the action of concentrated nitric 
acid, sulphydrate of chloral oxidizes rapidly, the 
disengagement of nitrous vapours is intense, and the 
reaction should be practised upon small quantities 
at a time. Sulphuric acid is found in the liquid, 
and trichloracetic acid, the presence of which may 
be easily shown in the production of chloroform by 
the addition of potash, and which the author has 
isolated by distillation. This reaction may be ex¬ 
pressed by the following equation :— 
C 4 HC] 3 (\, 2 HS + 4(N0 5 H0) = 
C 4 HC1 3 0; + 2(S0 4 H) + 3N0 2 + N0 4 -f 4HO 
Concentrated sulphuric acid has no marked action 
* 1 Comptes Rendus,’ vol. Ixxiv. p. 1290. 
f C=6; 0=8; S=16. 
Third Series, No. 105. 
in the cold; with heat there is production of anhy¬ 
drous chloral, disengagement of sulphuretted hydro¬ 
gen and sulphurous acid, and deposit of sulphur. 
By oxidizing this substance carefully with nitric 
acid, adding chlorate of potash at the end of the 
reaction, and then estimating the sulphuric acid 
produced as sulphate of baryta, it was found as 
the mean of three analyses that O'50 grams gave 
0'035 grams of sulphate of baryta. This was 
thought sufficiently near to the calculated number, 
0'G42, to justify, when taken with the preceding re¬ 
actions, the formula C 4 HC1 3 0 2 , 2 HS. It will be 
seen that the formula of the sulphydrate is that of 
the hydrate, with the water replaced by sulphuretted 
hydrogen. 
This compound being decomposed by water or 
alcohol containing water, its administration is diffi¬ 
cult. Quantities varying from 0'20 gram to 0'60 
gram, in solution in ether, were injected into guinea 
pigs. The effects noticed were a diminution of tem¬ 
perature of about one degree; muscular relaxation 
with peaceable slumber for about two hours; no 
notable diminution of sensibility, and a slight ac¬ 
celeration of the heart’s action. After the slumber 
the animal returned rapidly to the normal state. 
STUDY. 
BY W. WILLMOTT. 
[Concluded from page 1027.) 
We all know what study has done and is doing in 
relation to progress. Mark how swiftly we are 
borne over land and sea, and how' ingeniously we 
are carried upwards through the thinner medium 
which surround the earth.* And then by the aid of 
study we find ourselves contemplating with clearness 
the starry universe and calculating the movements 
of the heavenly bodies with marvellous accuracy; 
whilst, on the other hand, v r e are seen boring through 
the crusts of the earth and its varied formations 
dowm to the primary granite beyond which no human 
ken shall ever penetrate. So that in whatever 
direction we proceed, there has the talisman study 
enthroned its power and built for all time “ a local 
habitation and a name.” 
But study, like everything else, may be abused. 
It may be injudiciously directed on the one hand, or 
it may be too zealously pursued on the other. We 
must direct our thoughts judiciously, or we may de¬ 
generate into those egregious aberrations of intellect 
which invest everything with a morbid idealism. 
Let us by all means rise superior to this, and rely 
upon something higher and better for improvement 
and instruction. 
But study may be too zealously pursued. It may 
be pursued to the neglect of the ordinary duties of 
life, or to the total overthrow of the very source from 
wdience it flow T s. Sir Humphry Davy was a re¬ 
markable example of the former assumption. So 
zealous was his temperament, and so devoted was he 
to the winders of his laboratory, that he affected not 
to have time enough for the necessary routine of 
the toilet. The consequence w r as he spared himself 
those ordinary lavations which become invested 
with such paramount importance in the plentiful 
application of soap and water; and in order, as he 
thought, to save time (so it is said) he was wront to 
* Vide recent experiments. 
