608        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy. 
strength  for  antiseptic  purposes  when  required.  Indeed,  where  an 
antiseptic  powder  is  required  there  is  no  reason  why  paraformalde- 
hyde itself  should  not  be  of  great  service. 
On  exposure  to  air  of  an  aqueous  solution  of  formic  aldehyde 
until  it  dries  up,  there  appears  to  be  formed  not  the  true  para  com- 
pound but  a  mixture  partaking  to  some  extent  of  the  characters  of 
the  substance  (CH20)2,  described  by  Tollens  and  Mayer  as  being 
formed  when  formic  aldehyde  is  evaporated  over  sulphuric  acid. 
This  substance  was  found  to  melt  at  about  1 3 1  °  C,  and  was  more 
soluble  in  water  than  paraformaldehyde.  The  polymer  produced  by 
adding  sulphuric  acid  to  formic  aldehyde  had  a  much  higher  melt- 
ing point,  namely,  1700  C.  The  variation  of  the  melting  point 
from  1520  to  1720  C,  ascribed  to  paraformaldehyde  is  no  doubt 
due  to  an  admixture  of  these  two  bodies. 
SYNTHESIS  OF  CANE  SUGAR. 
L.  Marchlewski  (Rocznik  Akad.  Umiej.  Krakowskiej.,  1896)  has 
obtained  cane  sugar  by  the  action  of  acetochlorhydrose  upon  the 
potassium  salt  of  ^-fructose.  The  reaction  is  expressed  by  the  fol- 
lowing equation : 
CH2.OCOCH3  C02.OH 
(CH.OCOCH3)3  (CH.OH)3  +  4QH5OH  =  4CH3COOC2H5  + 
KC1  +  C12H22Oir 
CH  +  COK 
/  / 
o  o 
\CH  —  CI  \ 
Pure  acetochlorhydrose  is  dissolved  in  alcohol,  and  to  the  solution 
freshly  prepared  potassium  levulosate  is  added.  The  mixture  is  left 
to  stand  for  about  seven  days  at  ordinary  temperature  ;  to  complete 
the  reaction  it  is  heated  for  half  an  hour  on  a  water  bath;  next,  the 
potassium  chloride  formed  is  filtered,  off,  the  filtrate  evaporated  at 
8o°  C,  and  the  residue  dissolved  in  boiling  water.  The  solution 
obtained  is  next  treated  with  a  solution  of  calcium  hydrate,  and  the 
gradually  formed  precipitate  filtered  off,  stirred  in  some  water,. and 
decomposed  with  C02.  The  calcium  carbonate  is  filtered  off,  and 
the  filtrate  purified  by  calcium  hydrate  in  a  similar  manner.  Finally, 
