160 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
ART. XXVIII. — THE ACTION WHICH CHLORINE EXER- 
CISES UPON THE ORGANIC SALIFIABLE BASES. 
{Presented to the Academy of Science, Feb. 19, 1838, by J. Pelletier.) 
In a paper offered to the Academy of Science, I have ex- 
amined the action which iodine exercises on the organic 
salifiable bases, and have shown that, with some exceptions, 
iodine unites in definite proportions with these substances, 
without effecting decomposition. I proposed to treat fully, 
in a second essay, of the action of chlorine upon these same 
substances, and had collected a number of observations, when 
I was arrested by difficulties, which, in the present state of 
the science, it was impossible to overcome. In fact, 1 found 
that chlorine always acted upon the elements of the organic 
alkalies, giving rise to new compounds, produced by very 
complicated reactions. But, since the action of chlorine upon 
the binary and ternary compounds of the organic kingdom 
has not been perfectly investigated, and the laws which re- 
gulate its action are not positively understood, how can we 
hope to conquer the difficulties which, in quaternary com- 
pounds, result from the complication in composition produced 
by such a body as nitrogen, as yet so problematical in its 
nature, and of whose combinations, even binary, so little is 
known. 
I have, therefore, thought proper to suspend the labor which I 
had undertaken, and to leave the field open to those who, not 
deterred by the difficulties, would be willing to devote them- 
selves to these researches. Moreover, I have thought that it 
would be useful to publish the observations which I have 
made upon this subject, as a guide to future investigations. 
The action of Chlorine upon Strychnia. 
When a current of chlorine gas is passed through water, 
holding in suspension finely powdered strychnia, it will be 
perceived that the temperature is elevated, that the strychnia 
