DECOMPOSITION  OF  CHLOROFORM. 
409 
acid  at  once  turn  yellowish,  the  coloration  increases  and  is  in 
half  an  hour  rather  deep  red  yellow.  Mixtures  of  almond  and 
peach  seed  oil  may  be  at  first  white,  but  after  one-half  to  one 
hour  will  be  more  or  less  reddish  yellow. 
Many  other  oils,  for  instance  ground  nut  oil  (Arachis)  behave 
to  nitric  acid  like  almond  oil.  Such  an  adulteration  is  readily 
discovered  by  sulphuric  acid.  Upon  a  porcelain  slab  -  8  or  10 
drops  of  the  oil  are  stirred  together  with  5  or  6  drops  of  strong 
sulphuric  acid.  Almond  oil  is  colored  yellow  and  retains  that 
color  for  some  minutes  ;  other  oils,  though  often  yellow  at  first, 
quickly  turn  green,  greenish  brown  or  brown. — Fharm.  Central 
lialle,  1870,  217,  218.  J.  M.  M. 
DECOMPOSITION  OF  CHLOROFORM. 
By  E.  C.  A.  BiLTZ,  of  Erfurt. 
The  assertion  of  Dr.  Hager  (this  Journal,  page  319,)  that 
chloroform  prepared  from  pure  chloral  hydrate  is  not  decom- 
posed by  light  and  air,  is  not  correct.  This  so-called  normal 
chloroform  is  decomposed  as  readily  as  any  other  if  it  he  abso- 
lutely free  from  alcohol. 
From  J  kilogramme  of  pure  chloral  hydrate  I  obtained  296 
grm.  chloroform,  sp.  gr.  1*498  at  15°  C.  (the  theoretical  yield 
is  306  grm.,  sp.  gr.  1*502) ;  it  was  very  pure,  entirely  indifferent 
to  sulphuric  acid,  but  still  contained  some  alcohol,  to  remove 
which  it  had  to  be  washed  six  times  with  water.  It  was  then 
dehydrated  and  rectified,  when  it  had  the  sp.  gr.  1*5019  at  15° 
C,  a  boiling  point  of  62*27°  C,  and  was  entirely  indifferent  to 
iodide  of  potassium.  Exposed  in  a  half  filled  white  vial  to  the 
daylight,  it  showed,  after  ten  hours,  a  reddish  tinge  with  solu- 
tion of  iodjde  of  potassium..'^  On  the  evening  of  the  second  day 
strong  decomposition  of  this  solution,  and  so  on  as  previously 
described  by  me.f 
This  proves  that  chloroform  prepared  from  chloral  hydrate  is 
prone  to  decomposition.  How  the  stability  of  Hager's  chloro- 
form agrees  with  its  sp.  gr.  and  boiling  point  I  am  unable  to  say; 
however,  he  might  have  satisfied  himself  by  comparative  experi- 
1  absolutely  neutral  iodide  in  20  water,  freshly  prepared, 
t  See  Archiv  der  Pharmacie,  1868,  June,  209. 
