30  Nicotin  and  Nicotinic  Acid,         { jiZ is?o?'°' 
stances,  it  may  be  conjectured,  with  Lament  and  others,  that  it  is  con- 
nected with  the  uneven  quantivalence  of  the  elements  taking  part  in 
the  reaction,  which  may  be  represented  by  the  equation  -f  = 
P2O3  +  P2O5  +  ^Og.  If  this  be  true,  we  should  anticipate  the 
development  of  ozone  whenever  oxidation  of  a  perissad  occurred  at 
temperatures  compatible  with  the  stability  of  the  ozone  molecule.  In 
entering  into  new  combinations,  the  oxygen  molecules  must  undergo 
temporary  resolution  into  their  constituent  atoms.  These,  while  in  the 
course  of  taking  up  new  positions  in  other  combinations,  and  animated 
by  their  atomic  energy  or  energy  of  the  nascent  state,  may  either 
oxidize  the  oxygen  molecule,  or  the  nitrogen,  or  the  molecule  of  water. 
In  the  first  case,  ozone  would  be  produced  ;  in  the  second,  regarding 
water  as  the  basic  body  and  NNO  as  the  nitryl,  there  might  be 
formed,  as  Hunt  has  indicated,  ammonium  nitrate  ;  in  the  third,  hydro- 
gen peroxide. —  'Jour,  Chem.  Soc,^  Nov.,  1879,  p.  881,  from  Chem. 
News. 
NICOTIN  AND  NICOTINIC  ACID. 
By  R.  Laiblin. 
The  following  modification  of  Schloesing's  process  for  preparing 
nicotin  is  recommended :  Coarsely-cut  tobacco  is  digested  for  a  day 
with  cold  water,  and  the  mixture  subsequently  boiled  by  injection  of 
superheated  steam,  filtered,  and  the  residue  pressed.  The  same  series  of 
operations  is  repeated,  and  the  mixed  filtrates  are  evaporated  to  one- 
third  of  their  volume.  A  quantity  of  lime,  one-tenth  of  the  weight  of 
the  tobacco  used,  is  now  added,  and  the  mixture  distilled  by  a  current 
of  steam  as  long  as  nicotin  (recognized  by  its  odor)  comes  over.  The 
distillate  is  exactly  neutralized  by  oxalic  acid,  the  amount  used  being 
noted,  and  evaporated  to  a  thin  syrup.  The  exact  amount  of  potash 
necessary  to  neutralize  the  oxalic  acid  is  now  added,  and  the  crude  nic- 
otin which  separates  is  collected.  The  remaining  liquid  is  exhausted 
with  ether,  and  the  nicotin  thus  extracted  added  to  that  first  obtained. 
That  portion  of  the  crude  base  which  distils  over  below  250°  is  con- 
verted into  oxalate  by  adding  powdered  oxalic  acid  to  its  ethereal  solu- 
tion ;  and  the  purified  oxalate,  which  separates  as  a  syrup,  after  being 
