Am.  Jour.  Pharm.\ 
Feb..  1891.  I 
Bromoform. 
85 
bromoform.  Sufficient  milk  of  lime  was  added  to  render  the  liquid 
decidedly  alkaline,  acetone  was  added  and  then  chlorine  gas  was 
passed  through  as  long  as  bromine  was  indicated  by  the  reddening 
of  the  liquid  as  each  bubble  of  gas  escaped,  agitation  being  con- 
tinued as  before.  The  liquid  was  then  distilled  and  the  heavy 
liquid  separated  and  washed  showed  a  gravity  of  2-22.  This  was 
treated  with  calcium  chloride  and  then  fractionated  and  yielded  also 
considerable  of  the  lower  boiling  fractions.  The  fraction  distill- 
ing at  144  0  to  1490  C.  showing  a  gravity  at  150  C.  of  2-8938  was 
exposed  to  a  temperature  sufficiently  low  to  crystallize  and  the 
crystals  separated  after  melting,  yielded  a  liquid,  sp.  gr.  2-8963  at 
1 5°  G. 
Care  must  be  taken  to  add  the  bromine  in  small  portions  and  to 
have  the  contents  of  the  flask  decidedly  alkaline  or  there  will  be 
formed  more  or  less  mono-brom  acetone  a  serious  contamination  of 
the  product.  This  compound  is  a  very  powerful  irritant,  a  few 
drops  escaping  in  the  room  so  irritates  the  eyes  and  nostrils  as  to 
render  the  atmosphere  unendurable.  As  its  boiling  point,  1400  to 
145  0  C,  approaches  nearly  that  of  bromoform  it  cannot  be  separated 
by  fractionating  alone.  In  experimenting  with  the  process  of  Gun- 
ther,  above  mentioned,  the  writer  was  unfortunate  enough  to  obtain 
some  mono-brom  acetone  greatly  to  the  discomfit  of  himself  and 
other  occupants  of  the  room.  The  contaminated  product  was 
treated  with  solution  of  sodium  carbonate,  which  removed  but 
slightly  the  troublesome  compound.  It  was  then  agitated  with 
lead  oxide,  water  was  added,  the  whole  thoroughly  shaken 
and  thrown  in  the  flask  and  redistilled.  The  resulting  distillate 
washed  and  then  fractionated  yielding  an  unobjectionable  product. 
Bromoform  like  chloroform  is  a  solvent  for  caoutchouc,  gutta- 
percha, fats,  oils,  resins,  essential  oils,  sulphur,  phosphorus  and 
iodine.  It  is  miscible  or  soluble  in  chloroform,  ether,  alcohol,  car- 
bon bisulphide,  methyl  alcohol,  acetone,  amyl  alcohol,  benzol  and 
benzin  and  is  but  very  slightly  soluble  in  water.  It  is  very  difficult 
to  inflame,  but  its  vapor,  like  that  of  chloroform,  colors  the  flame  of 
a  Bunsen  burner  green.  Mixed  with  alcohol  it  burns  with  a  smoky 
flame  colored  green  on  the  edges  and  giving  off  acid  fumes.  It  is 
easily  decomposed  by  light  and  should  be  kept  in  amber-colored 
vials  and  not  unlikely  the  decomposition  as  in  chloroform  could  be 
prevented  by  the  addition  of  a  small  amount  of  alcohol. 
