188 
Mia  utes  o  f  the  College. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Phaim. 
I      April,  1881. 
On  Inulin. — Kiliani  has  published  a  research  upon  iiiulin  as  an  inaug- 
ural dissertation  at  Munich.  The  following  are  the  conclusions  of  his 
paper:  Inulin  stands  in  the  most  intimate  chemical  relation  to  levulose.  It 
appears  to  be  the  anhydrid  of  this  body,  and  passes  into  it  with  such  faci- 
lity that  in  all  reactions  which  require  a  long  warming  with  water  or  need 
the  presence  of  dilute  acids  the  inulin  is  rej^laced  by  levulose.  By  nearly 
all  reactions,  therefore,  these  l^odies  yield  the  same  products.  Inulin  is  dis- 
tinguished sharply  from  levulose  in  consequence  of  a  property  possessed  by 
the  latter  in  common  with  the  simple  sugars,  of  reducing  the  copper  test 
.and  of  fermenting  under  the  action  of  yeast.  Inidin  neitliei'  reduces  Feli- 
ling's  test  nor  undergoes  fermentation.  Moreover,  it  does  not  form  hydro- 
gen addition  products.  Its  hydrate,  levulose,  differs  from  dextrose  in  its 
oxidation-products ;  the  latter  aflbrding,  when  oxidized  with  nitric  acid  or 
ibroniine  and  water,  compounds  which  contain  six  carbon-atoms,  saccharic 
(perhaps  gluconic)  acid;  while  levulose  similarly  treated  affords  bodies 
'with  a  less  content  of  carbon  ;  glycolic  and  oxalic  acids.  This  the  author 
explains  by  supposing  dextrose  to  be  the  aldeliyd  of  mannite  and  levulose 
its  ketone.  Oxidation  of  both  dextrose  and  levulose  with  silver  oxide  gives 
glycolic  acid  ;  but  gluconic  acid  is  i^robably  first  formed  and  then  oxidized 
to  glycolic  and  carbonic  acids. — Arnrr.  Jour.  ,Sci.,  Feb.,  1881,  from  Liebig^s 
Ann.,  ccv,  145,  Nov.,  1880. 
On  THP]  Direct  Production  of  Chloroform  and  Bromoform. — 
Damoiseau  has  studied  the  action  of  porous  bodiew  in  causing  the  reaction 
of  chlorine  upon  methyl  chloride.  A  regular  current  of  chlorine  gas 
mixed  suitably  with  methyl  chloride  is  passed  through  a  long  tube  filled 
with  animal  charcoal  and  heated  to  250°  to  850°.  By  washing  with  water 
the  hydrochloric  acid  gas  is  removed,  and  the  condensed  product  corres- 
ponds to  the  mixture  employed.  Chloroform  is  produced  with  great  ease 
and  uniformity  in  this  way.  Bromine  acts  similarly,  producing  from 
CHgBr.,,  CH.,Br„  CHBrg  and  CBr,.  Acetic  acid  treated  with  2,  4,  6  atoms 
of  bromine  in  this  way,  gives  carbon  dioxide  and  brominated  derivatives 
of  formene.  Chlorine  and  acetic  acid  gives  chloroform  in  considerable 
quantity.— ylmer.  Joiir.  S'ei.,  March,  1881,  from  C.  i?.,  xii,  42,  Jan.,  1881. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  COLLEGE. 
The  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  was  held 
at  the  Hall  of  the  College,  March  28th,  1881,  Dillwyn  Parrish,  President, 
in  the  chair.    Present,  27  members. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  stated  meeting  w^ere  read,  and,  on  motion, 
api^roved. 
