466     ACTION  OF  CHLORINE  UPON  ABSOLUTE  ALCOHOL,  ETC. 
decomposition,  and  are  resolved  into  an  aqueous  solution  of  hy- 
drochloric acid  and  a  hydrocarbon,  boiling  about  168°  C,  and 
apparently  identical  with  eucalyptene.  In  chemical  history, 
therefore,  eucalyptol  resembles  camphor,  of  which  it  appears  to 
be  a  homologue — two  steps  higher  in  the  series. — Pharm,  Jour. 
London^  July  23,  1870,  from  Repertoire  de  Pharmacie. 
ON  CURCUMIN. 
M.  Iwanof  Grajewsky,  has  in'/estigated  turmeric,  and  states 
that  sulphide  of  carbon  takes  up  from  tiiat  drug  an  oil  contain- 
ing, besides  oxygen,  80-2  per  cent,  of  carbon  and  10  per  cent, 
of  hydrogen.  This  oil  boils  at  from  240^—260°  C.  The  drug 
having  been  next  treated  with  ether,  yields  to  that  solvent  cur- 
cumin,  as  a  yellow-colored  crystalline  body  C4H4O,  fusing  at 
172°  ;  the  drug  contains,  moreover,  another  pigment  and  an 
alkaloid. —  Chemical  I^etvs,  Aug.  12,  from  Berich.  der  Peuts. 
Chem.  GeselL,  Berlin. 
ACTION  OF  CHLORINE  UPON  ABSOLUTE  ALCOHOL  WHILE 
EXPOSED  TO  DIRECT  SUNLIGHT. 
By  mm.  Streit  and  Franz. 
While  engaged  in  making  hydrate  of  chloral  with  absolute 
alcohol,  direct  sunlight  accidently  fell  upon  the  apparatus,  the 
temperature  of  the  contents  of  which  was  62°.  The  continued 
action  of  the  sun's  rays  caused  a  series  of  sharp  detonations, 
accompanied  by  very  bright  lightning-like  flashes  inside  the 
apparatus ;  the  fluid,  previously  quite  clear,  became  black,  a 
blackish  powder  was  separated,  and  the  temperature  rose  to 
78°.  The  authors  repeated  the  experiment  with  artificial  light, 
and  found  that  magnesium  light,  the  light  emitted  by  a  mix- 
ture of  sulphide  of  carbon  and  deutoxide  of  nitrogen  while 
burning,  electric  light  and  the  light  emitted  by  the  ignition  of 
a  mixture  of  chlorate  of  potassa  and  sulphur,  when  ignited 
produce  the  same  effect.  The  products  of  the  decomposition 
of  the  alcohol  were  not  further  investigated,  but  exhibited  a 
most  frightful  stench  and  a  deep  reddish  brown  color.— C7A^w/- 
^al  News,  London,  Feb.  2bth,  1870. 
