AmAprn?  iss6arm'}  Acetophenone,  or  Hypnone,  a  new  Hypnotic  Agent.  185 
a-Naphthol,  in  equal  volumes  of  alcohol  and  sulphuric  acid,  colors 
wood-stuff  paper  a  dark  green,  whilst  pure  cellulose-paper  takes  a 
red-violet. 
Pyrogallic  acid  in  alcohol  and  hydrochloric  acid  colors  wood-stuff 
paper  and  wood  a  bluish  green. 
Carbolic  acid  in  alcohol  and  muriatic  acid  colors  wood  and  paper 
containing  wood  a  yellowish  green. — Chem.  News,  1886,  p.  16;  Zeit.  f. 
Anal.  Chemie;  ChemiJcer  Zeitung. 
ACETOPHENONE,  OR  HYPNONE,  A  NEW  HYPNOTIC 
AGENT. 
By  S.  Limousin. 
(Paper  read  before  the  Paris  Society  de  Pharmacie.  From  the  Archives  de  Pharmacie,  vol.  i.,  p.l.) 
Dr.  Dujardin-Beaumetz  has  recently  submitted  to  the  Academie  de 
Medecine  and  the  Societe  de  Therapeutique  the  results  of  his  clinical 
experiments  upon  the  hypnotic  properties  that  he  has  discovered  in 
acetophenone,  methylphenylacetone,  or  methylbenzoyl.  He  proposes 
to  confer  on  this  new  remedy  the  name  "hypnone,"  as  being  more 
easily  remembered,  and  at  the  same  time  recalling  its  hypnotic  prop- 
erties. 
The  compound  belongs  to  the  aromatic  series,  and  has  for  its  for- 
mula C6H5.CO.CH3.  It  has  been  obtained  by  Friedel  by  causing 
chloride  of  benzoyl  to  react  upon  zinc  methyl,  or  by  distilling  a  mix- 
ture of  benzoate  and  acetate  of  calcium. 
Acetophenone  is  a  colorless,  mobile,  very  refrangent  liquid,  boiling 
at  198°  C.  It  is  volatile,  and  its  odor  is  tenacious  and  very  persistent, 
recalling  at  the  same  time  oil  of  bitter  almonds  and  cherry  laurel 
water.  It  is  not  inflammable,  but  it  intensifies  the  combustion  of  sub- 
stances impregnated  with  it.  About  4°  or  5°  C.  it  becomes  solid  and 
forms  a  mass  of  large  interlacing  crystals.  Its  density  is  nearly  that 
of  water,  but  slightly  superior,  a  cub'c  centimeter  weighing  1*6  gm. 
It  is  not  soluble  in  water  or  in  glycerin.1    The  difference  between  the 
1  According  to  M.  Vigier,  hypnone  is  soluble  in  glycerin  in  the  proportion 
of  1  part  in  60  parts  by  weight. — Ed.  Archives. 
