I 
290  ON  CHLOROFORM. 
chloro-acetic  acids.  The  author  recommends  to  keep  chloroform 
in  several  vessels  in  a  dark  and  cool  place,  and  suggests  its 
preparation  from  methylic  alcohol,  or  with  a  strong  chlorinated 
lime,  as  the  probable  cause  of  the  decomposition. 
In  an  essay  on  the  coloring  matters  of  bile,  G.  Stadeler* 
states :  "  Chloroform,  in  the  state  of  continuous  decomposition, 
is  now  rather  frequently  met  with  in  commerce.  Recently  recti- 
fied over  some  alkali,  it  has  the  odor  of  pure  chloroform  ;  but  it 
rapidly  becomes  acid,  and  evolves  the  suffocating  odor  of  phos- 
gene gas.  Such  a  chloroform  dissolves  bilirubin  with  a  green 
color,  and  likewise  changes  its  yellow  solution  in  pure  chloroform 
to  green.  Since  less  than  one  milligramme  of  bilirubin  is  suffi- 
cient for  this  reaction,  and  since  it  takes  place  when  the  de- 
composition has  just  set  in,  and  the  odor  of  phosgene  gas  is 
hardly  perceptible,  I  consider  bilirubin  as  an  excellent  reagent 
to  test  chloroform  for  its  medicinal  purity.  I  have  never  ob- 
served this  decomposition  and  this  reaction  with  bilirubin,  with 
good  chloroform  prepared  from  alcohol." 
From  communications  received  by  Dr.  H.  Hager  in  regard  to 
chloroform  inclined  to  spontaneous  decomposition,  he  infersf 
that  the  different  specimens  were  not  alike,  and  that  the  causes 
of  their  decomposition  likewise  appear  to  differ  ;  chlorine  substi- 
tutes of  a  higher  order  he  regards  as  the  principal  cause,  and 
suggests  their  removal  by  fractional  distillation,  collecting  that 
only  which  is  obtained  between  60°  and  65°  C.  (140°  and  149° 
F.)  Steltzner's  method  for  regenerating  decomposed  chloroform 
by  agitation  with  solution  of  caustic  potassa  and  rectification,  is 
not  applicable  in  all  cases. 
The  fatal  result  by  the  inhalation  of  chloroform  at  the  surgical 
clinic  of  the  Berlin  University  was  followed  by  an  examination 
of  the  anaesthetic  used.  Dr.  Martinsj  found  that  only  one-third 
of  it  distilled  at  62°  C.,  the  temperature  rose  rapidly  to  70°, 
72°,  75°,  and  a  considerable  residue  was  left  even  at  80°  C.  ;  it 
contained  neither  free  chlorine  nor  muriatic  acid,  but  had  the 
suffocating  odor  of  phosgene  gas  and  chloride  of  carbon.  It 
evidently  contained  higher  chlorinated  compounds. 
*  Ann.  d.  Chem.  und  Pharm.  1864,  319. 
t  Pharmac.  Central  Halle,  vii,  No.  49. 
X  Archiv  d.  Pharm.  1867,  March,  255. 
