T'i8^rm"}  Union  of  Chloral  Hydrate  and  Camphor.  463 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
Oct 
The  distillate  was  separated  into  two  parts,  the  first  being  collected  up 
to  3000,  the  other  being  that  which  passed  over  between  that  point 
and  4020.  The  vapor  which  passed  over  at  this  temperature  solidified 
in  the  tube  before  reaching  the  receiver. 
The  first  distillate  was  a  soft  greenish  mass,  consisting  of  small 
crystals  mixed  with  liquid.  It  was  found  to  consist  of  chloral  hydrate, 
with  a  very  small  quantity  of  camphor,  and  owed  the  color  to  a  minute 
quantity  of  a  greenish  oil,  apparently  the  result  of  some  chemical 
action  having  taken  place  between  the  chloral  and  camphor.  This  oil 
could  not  be  obtained  in  sufficient  quantity  to  be  examined. 
The  second  distillate  was  a  thick  oily  liquid,  having  a  pungent  odor 
of  chloral  hydrate.  It  combined  with  a  small  proportion  of  water,  but 
was  insoluble  in  a  larger  quantity.  It  was  miscible  with  alcohol,  of 
specific  gravity  '937  and  '838  in  all  proportions,  and  proved  to  be 
hydrate  of  chloral  with  about  enough  camphor  to  liquefy  it. 
The  residue  in  the  flask,  which  boiled  at  4020,  was  found  to  solidify 
at  2480,  and  was  almost  insoluble  in  water,  but  freely  soluble  in  alco- 
hol, sp.  gr.  '838,  was  plainly  camphor. 
The  original  solution  was  decomposed  by  water,  the  camphor  float- 
ing on  the  surface,  while  the  filtered  liquid  gave  abundant  evidence  of 
chloral  hydrate  on  being  tested. 
Judging  from  these  facts,  it  would  seem  certain  that  no  chemical 
action  takes  place  when  the  two  articles  are  mixed  in  the  cold.  Both 
are  volatile  at  ordinary  temperatures,  and  the  following  experiment, 
which  was  performed  to  ascertain  which  was  the  solvent,  conclusively 
proves  that  it  is  the  vapors  which  act  upon  each  other.  Two  lumps, 
one  of  chloral  hydrate  and  one  of  camphor,  were  placed  about  an  inch 
apart  on  a  porcelain  plate,  and  covered  with  a  bell  glass.  In  fifteen 
minutes  the  surface  of  the  camphor  was  quite  damp,  but  the  chloral 
was  quite  dry.  In  three  hours  the  chloral  was  still  dry,  while  the 
camphor  was  quite  wet  and  standing  in  the  midst  of  liquid.  In  twelve 
hours  the  liquid  had  reached  the  chloral,  the  upper  surface  of  which 
was  still  dry,  while  in  twenty  hours  both  lumps  were  half  liquefied, 
and  the  inner  surface  of  the  bell  glass  was  covered  with  moisture. 
This  would  almost  seem  to  point  out  that  the  vapor  of  the  chloral  was 
the  solvent,  but  it  was  found  while  one  part  of  camphor  would  form  a 
permanent  liquid  with  three  and  a-half  parts  of  chloral  hydrate,  one 
part  of  chloral,  dissolved  by  the  aid  of  heat,  with  two  parts  of  camphor 
