238  Pharmaceutical  Colleges,  etc.  {^yijm^ 
the  same  conditions  ;  the  authorization  is  usually  granted  by  the  prefect  of 
police  upon  a  favorable  recommendation  of  the  Ecole  de  Pharmacie. 
Mr.  Fr.  Wurtz  read  a  report  on  commercial  propylamina,  which  has  lately 
been  experimented  with 'by  Dr.  Dujardiu-Beaumetz.  This  so-called  propyla- 
mina had  been  obtained  from  herring  pickle,  and  has  long  since  been  proven, 
by  Winckler,  to  consist  mainly  of  trimethylaraina,  identical  with  that  obtained 
by  him  by  synthesis.  In  1869  Sylva  prepared  propylamina  from  propylic  alco- 
hol, and  found  its  chemical  properties  to  be  analogous  to  those  of  trimethyla- 
mina  and  of  Gautier's  isopropylamina ;  the  three  bases,  however,  differ  in  their 
boiling  point  and  in  the  crystalline  form  of  their  salts.  Trimethylaraina  boils 
between  4  and  5°,  propylamina  between  49  and  50°,  and  isopropylamina  between 
31  and  32°  C.  The  three  bases  are  isomeric,  consisting  of  Cg  H9  N.  The 
reporter  concludes  that  the  commercial  so-called  propylamina  is  merely  a  more 
or  less  pure  aqueous  solution  of  trimethvlamina,  without  definite  strength, 
which  should  be  replaced  by  a  standard  solution  of  the  pure  alkaloid,  or  by  its 
crystallized  muriate,  if  the  salt  should  possess  the  same  medicinal  properties 
as  the  former.  For  medicinal  purposes  it  is  recommended  to  convert  methylic 
alcohol  into  methyl  iodide,  to  heat  the  latter  under  pressure  with  ammonia,  to 
wash  the  crystals  of  iodide  of  tetramethyl-ammonium  with  cold  distilled  water, 
in  which  they  are  nearly  insoluble,  to  remove  ammonium  iodide,  and  finally  to 
decompose  by  lime,  collecting  the  gas  in  water;  this  solution  should  then  be 
brought  to  a  definite  strength.  The  muriate  is  easily  prepared  from  it  by  satu- 
rating with  hydrochloric  acid  ;  the  salt  recently  used  with  success  by  Dr.  Du- 
jardiu-Beaumetz was  made  by  the  process  described. 
Air.  Petit  remarked  that  he  has  frequently  found  commercial  propylamina  to 
be  richer  in  ammonia  than  in  other  bases.  The  alkaline  strength  was  observed 
to  vary  between  2  aud  52  centigrams  in  the  cubic  centimeter;  the  equivalent 
weight  of  ammonia  and  propylamina  being  17  and  59  respectively,  the  amount 
of  the  former  may  be  ascertained  by  neutralizing  a  given  quantity  with  hydro- 
chloric acid  aud  weighing  the  residue  left  on  evaporation. 
Mr.  Lefort  remarked  that  muriate  of  propylamina  is  very  soluble  in  absolute 
alcohol,  while  muriate  of  ammonia  does  not  dissolve  therein  to  an  appreciable 
extent. 
Mr.  Lefort  read  an  essay  on  protiodide  of  mercury,  an  abstract  of  which  is 
published  on  page  218  of  this  number. 
Mr.  Bussy  stated  that  he  had  found  several  samples  of  sulphovinate  of  so- 
dium to  contain  sometimes  large  quantities  of  bisulphate  of  sodium,  which  salt 
was  pi  esent  not  perhaps  in  consequence  of  intended  fraud,  but  rather  on  account 
of  a  prolonged  exposure  to  a  high  temperature  in  the  presence  of  water. 
Mr.  Limousin  said  that  sulphovinate  of  sodium  is  very  hygroscopic,  and  that 
if  the  absorbed  water  is  expelled  at  a  temperature  of  100  to  120°  C,  the  salt 
is  partially  decomposed  into  bisulphate  of  sodium  and  alcohol. 
Mr.  Jungfleisch  added,  that  on  evaporating  large  quantities  of  solutions  of 
this  salt,  the  water  favors  the  decomposition  spoken  of,  the  solution  sometimes 
becoming  strongly  acid.  The  decomposition  can  be  prevented  ouly  by  using  a 
large  excess  of  alcohol,  whereby  Mr.  Limousin  said  an  excellent  product  is 
obtained,  but  at  too  high  a  price. 
Prolonged  contact  with  water  alone  favors  this  decomposition,  and  Mr. 
Bowdet  called  attention  to  the  danger  of  the  occurrence  of  decomposition, 
if  the  sulphovinate  is  prescribed  in  large  quantities. 
