MISCELLANY. 
157 
alkaloid may be readily detected by macerating the bark in dilute sul- 
phuric acid, treating the precipitate thrown down by carbonate of 
soda with caustic soda or potash, and distilling ; quinoiline will pass 
over, which is easily recognised by its peculiar characters and proper- 
ties. The exact nature of the alkaloid is to be subsequently ascer- 
tained. — Ibid. 
Remarks upon Chloranil. By Dr. Augustus William Hofmann, As- 
sistant in the Giessen Laboratory — Chloranil was first obtained by 
Erdmann, when studying the action of chlorine upon indigo. He 
represents it by the formula C 6 CI 2 O 2 . Laurent considers that its 
equivalent should be C* 2 CH O 4 . 
Erdmann obtained chloranil by passing a stream of chlorine through 
an alcoholic solution of chlorisatine or bichlorisatine ; but this process 
is circuitous, and yields very little chloranil, other products resulting, 
and in larger quantity. Fritzsche formed chloranil by the continued ac- 
tion of chlorate of potash and hydrochloric acid upon aniline. Dr. 
Hofmann confirmed his statements, and observing the relation between 
the aniline and the phenyle series, endeavored to obtain chloranil from 
the latter group of bodies, and with success, chloranil being often formed 
as one of the last results of decomposition of organic substances under 
the united influence of chlorine and oxygen. By means of hydrochloric 
acid and chlorate of potash, Dr. Hofmann first obtained chloranil from 
hydrate of phenyle ; and he found an aqueous solution, or a watery ex- 
tract of coal-gas naphtha, which contains both aniline and hydrate of 
phenyle, preferable to a solution in alcohol. 
To purify chloranil, it must be washed with water and crystallized 
from alcohol. Alcohol dissolves it when hot, and deposits it on cool- 
ing; it is more soluble in hot sether, but separates from either of these 
solvents in golden-yellow scales; volatile at 302° F., but subliming 
completely at 410° to 428° F. The identity of the substance obtained 
from the hydrate of phenyle with Erdmann's chloranil, was proved by 
the results of several analyses. 
In the action of hydrochloric acid and chlorate of potash upon hydrate 
of phenyle, other substances are formed before chloranil. On inter- 
rupting the decomposition, and examining these bodies, they proved to 
be chlorophenussic and chlorophenissic acids. These acids are con- 
vertible into chloranil. Moreover, Laurent's nitrophenessic and nitro- 
phenissic (carbazotic) acids are in the same way converted into chlo- 
ranil. 
Chrysolepinic acid of Schunck is also transformed into chloranil by 
the same agency ; and it was found that several bodies in the salicyle 
