NEWS

GLASGOW PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

(CHEMICAL SECTION).

MANCHESTER LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL

SOCIETY.

Ordinary Meeting, January 11, 1870.

Chair.

THE CHAIRMAN said that he had observed, at Cheetham Hill, on the evening of Monday, the 3rd inst., at 7.30 p.m., a singular display of the Aurora Borealis. It consisted of an arch of white light, 4° to 5° in breadth, a little south of the zenith, extending from east to west, and passing through the Pleiades; and a column of deep crimson colour, nearly due north, extending from the horizon to about 40° altitude, having slightly the character of streamers. The white arch, also, moved slowly to the south. The intensity of the red colour in the pillar was greater than any he had previously observed.

Dr. JOULE said he had not seen the aurora of the 3rd instant referred to by the Chairman; but, having been engaged on the same day in making observations with his new dip circle, he had noticed some remarkable disturbances in the magnetic dip, which no doubt were connected with the auroral display. He had also noticed similar disturbances of the dipping needle during the gale on Saturday, the 8th instant.

Dr. JOULE exhibited his current meter, and with it, in connection with a galvanometer, made an experiment to determine the horizontal intensity of the earth's magnetism in absolute measure. The result gave 383 as the value of this element in the hall of the Society. The current employed was produced by a single cell of a Bunsen's battery.

MICROSCOPICAL AND NATURAL HISTORY SECTION.

January 3th, 1870.

R. D. DARBISHIRE, B.A., F.G.S., in the Chair.

Dr. W. ROBERTS exhibited some specimens of urinary calculi, composed of cystine; also some crystals of the same, obtained by evaporation in the open air of the ammoniacal solution. Six-sided plates of mother-of-pearl lustre were obtained in this way which formed brilliant objects for the microscope.

Dr. ROBERTS remarked on the great rarity of cystine calculi, many large museums not possessing a single specimen. He had, in his own collection, three specimens; and, in the Museum of the Manchester School of Medicine, there were portions of two very fine calculi. A certain historical interest attached to one of the latter, a piece of which was presented, by the late Mr. Ransome, to Baron Liebig, during one of his visits to Manchester. The analysis of this piece led to the rectification of a curious error in the original formula for cystine, published by Prout and Lassaigne. These eminent chemists had deduced the formula C6H6NO8; but the Giessen analysis discovered 20 per cent of sulphur, which brought the true formula to C6H6NS204, the 2 atoms of sulphur having been before erroneously reckoned as 4 atoms of oxygen.

Mr. J. SIDEBOTHAM read "Notes on the Pupa and Imago of Acherontia atropos."

Mr. W. BOYD DAWKINS sent, for exhibition, some very interesting microscopic sections of Eozoon Canadense, which are the more valuable as being those which have passed through the hands of Sir W. E. Logan and Dr. Carpenter.

Mr. J. B. DANCER, F.R.A.S., presented the Section with a box containing twelve new polarising objects. These partly consisted of some of the hard fatty acids, which form very effective objects, and partly of crystallisations of some of the hydrocarbon compounds, which compete with the best specimens of polarising objects of the present day.

on Monday last, Mr. Alexander Whiteland, Vice-President, in the Chair. After the admission of some new members and the transaction of some other business, a paper was read by

Mr. J. WALLACE YOUNG, "On Artificial Alizarine.' He characterised madder and its preparations as being among the most useful dye-stuffs used in calico-printing and dyeing. The importance of madder is due to the fact that with different mordants it gives a great variety of colours,-iron mordants giving all shades from black to delicate purple; those of alumina giving colours from a dark red to a fine pink; and a mixture of them giving various shades of chocolate. Madder root has undergone probably more chemical investigation than any other colouring matter-the investigators being Robiquet and Colin, Claubry, Persoz, Runge, Schunck, Higgin, &c. The most important colouring matter is alizarine; from it may be obtained all the durable and brilliant colours yielded by madder itself. Mr. Young described the method by which alizarine may be obtained readily from madder root, and mentioned that the substance appears ultimately as a sublimate of fine orange-red needles, which are slightly soluble in hot water, and readily soluble in boiling alcohol. Owing to the high price of madder and madder preparations, much interest attaches to every substance which purports to be a substitute for madder. A good substitute would be gladly welcomed. M. Roussin announced a few years ago that he had succeeded in obtaining artificial alizarine from napthalin, but further investigation proved that he had been mistaken. More recently, it had been announced in the CHEMICAL NEWS and elsewhere that artificial alizarine had been successfully obtained from anthracen.

Mr. Young then stated the results of his experiments upon two madder substitutes, one of continental manufacture, a thin dark coloured paste containing 5.7 per cent of dry residue, the other of English manufacture, supplied in the form of an opaque brownish liquid. The former contained a large amount of coloured matter, but further purification was necessary before it could be used as a madder-substitute. When mordanted cloth dyed with it was boiled with solution of soap, the colours were found to be rather fugitive. Cloth prepared for Turkeyred absorbed the dye-stuff readily, but the same want of fastness was observed. When mixed with iron and aluminous mordants, and printed on in the way in which madder extract is used, the colours were found to be dull and not sufficiently fast. A sublimate obtained from the dried paste closely resembled natural alizarine, but was rather lighter in colour. It dyed mordanted cloth well and withstood treatment with soap. The English made madder substitute yielded a red rather yellower than that yielded by natural alizarine, a black of equal, if not superior quality to madder-black, but the chief difference was in the purple, which was rather slate-coloured than anything else, contrasting most unfavourably with the fine shade of colour given by madder. The yellowness of the red seemed to depend pretty much on the proportion of tin salt used in the clearing. As with madder and its preparations, the development of the colouring matter of the artificial alizarine is increased by tanning materials, as sumac, and deteriorated by chalk. The dried residue of the brown artificial alizarine liquid yielded by sublimation a crystalline body of a yellower shade than that of the crystals of the natural alizarine. In order to compare the artificial alizarine with the natural substance and with purpurine, which is another madder extract, the author dissolved each of them in weak ammonia, and added barium chloride; they all yielded purplish precipitates. The natural alizarine precipitate was of a fine

GMELIN'S CHEMISTRY AND WATTS'S

DICTIONARY.

To the Editor of the Chemical News. SIR,-Every chemist and possessor of "Gmelin's Chemistry" will, I am sure, in common with myself, be glad to have seen Mr. H. Watts's letter in the last number of the CHEMICAL NEWS, and to hear that there is at last a chance of this very valuable work being completed.

Whilst on this subject, I would refer to Mr. Watts's "Dictionary of Chemistry," and should like to know if there is any probability of the hint being acted upon, which, I believe, you originated at the time this latter work was completed-viz., the annual publication of a supplement which would contain the contributions to chemical science for the year preceding. Such a book is published in Germany, and is a great boon to all chemists; but, with a work like Watts's "Dictionary" as a starting point, the further labours of its eminent compiler, than

that Mr. Roberts will continue his experiments on this subject, and that this new recognition of science on the part of the Government may lead to many useful discoveries.

CHEMICAL NOTICES FROM FOREIGN SOURCES.

Under this heading will be found an encyclopaedic list of chemical papers published abroad during the past week, with abstracts of all susceptible of advantageous abridgment. The two halfyearly volumes of the CHEMICAL NEWS, with their copious indices, will, therefore, be equivalent to an English edition of the "Jahresberichte."

Nore. All degrees of temperature are Centigrade, unless otherwise expressed.

more valuable.

A.
A. PAYTON HURLSTONE.

WE record, with pain, the death of a valued friend and talented contributor to the CHEMICAL NEWS. Adam Payton Hurlstone, M.R.C.S., M.B., B.Sc., &c., died on the 21st of December, in the 24th year of his age, on board the steamship Laplace, on his passage from Brazil, where he had been pursuing his studies in botany, geology, &c.; he was buried the same day, at sea. Since leaving Cheltenham Grammar School, Mr. Hurlstone's scientific and medical studies had been pursued at University College, where he distinguished himself by carrying off, at an early age, the highest prizes for which he competed. It is to be feared that his unremitting devotion to study, acting on a frame not naturally robust, sowed the seeds of premature disease; and, with a view of combating unfavourable symptoms, he was advised to try the effect of foreign travel and sea voyages. We had great hopes that his health would, by this means, have been restored, and that he would soon have been enabled to continue that career of usefulness of which his talents gave such ample promise. At one time, he was a frequent contributor to the CHEMICAL NEWS, and some of the best reviews and unsigned articles which have ever appeared in these pages were from his pen. His relatives wish to take this opportunity of intimating their great loss to his many scientific friends.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Royal Mint.-Mr. W. Chandler Roberts, F.C.S., As.R.S.M., has been appointed chemist to the Mint. We call attention to this with the greater pleasure because it is a new chemical appointment in connection with the Government. The laboratory will, we believe, be partly devoted to research-the first laboratory of this sort established by the Government. Mr. Roberts was for some years assistant to the late Professor Graham, and associated with him in hydrogenium researches; we, therefore, hope

1870.

This number, a great portion of which is devoted to the records of

the proceedings of the elections of President, Vice-Presidents, and Membres du Bureau, contains the following original papers and memoirs relating to chemistry and allied sciences:

On the Nascent State.-M. St. Claire-Deville.-This paper is identical with that already briefly alluded to (see CHEMICAL NEWS, vol. xxi., p. 36).

Action of Magnetism upon Gases.-M. Trève.-This paper contains a first short account of a series of experiments made with perfectly pure gases enclosed in so-called Geissler tubes, and submitted to the action of the induction-spark and an electro-magnet of great force.

Origin of Nitrogen Gas Present in what is supposed to be Perfectly Pure Oxygen.-M. Houzeau.-The author mainly states that atmospheric air adheres with so great tenacity to all parts of the apparatus employed for the production of oxygen and hydrogen, that the author found it necessary to heat to redness even narrow tubes, in order to expel the air, while at the same time a rapid current of pure oxygen passed through the same.

Some Remarks on the Artificial Manufacture of Precious Stones.-M. Gaudin.-The author states, in reference to what has been done on this subject by M. Feil, that he (the author of this paper) made artificial precious stones in crucibles many years ago, but that than by the use of the oxyhydrogen blowpipe, and that only by the use it is far more difficult to obtain really good results by that method of the latter really hard stones, not acted upon by the file, can be made.

Motion of Chlorophyl Globules Under the Influence of Light.

M. Prilleux.-A botanico-physiological paper.

Manufacture of Platinised Looking-Glasses.-M. Jouglet.Abstracted from another periodical.

dried agaricus (a kind of mushroom) yields, on being treated with Two Products from the White Agaricus.-M. Fleury.-The ether, after evaporation of that fluid, two substances-viz., a resin, CH2O10; and agaricic acid, CHO.

Toxicological Properties of Some Rosolates.-M. Guyot.-The author states that the rosolates of potassa, soda, and baryta do not at all act upon the skin; the soda and potassa salts are not poisonous when they are inwardly taken, or introduced into the animal system; rosolate of baryta is poisonous in strong dose, in consequence of the poisonous properties of the base itself.

January 10th, 1870.

Nitrous Acid.-M. Fremy.-The author considers this acid under the three following headings:-(1) Action of water upon nitrous acid. This decomposition is represented by the following formula:

3NO,+HO=NO,,HO+2NO,.

This reaction is modified, however, by the relative quantities of acid and water, as well as by the temperature. When the acid is in excess, there is only nitric acid and deutoxide of nitrogen formed. When a large quantity of cold water is brought into contact with nitrous acid, the latter dissolves in the water, and no decomposition whatever takes place; this solution is far more staple than one would at first think-even a boiling heat does not destroy it at once. (2) Reducing action of the acid.-In this respect, the aqueous solution just alluded to has some similarity with sulphurous acid, chloride of gold is reduced instantaneously, and permanganate of potassa is decomposed. Nitrous acid decomposes sulphuretted hydrogen precisely in the same manner as sulphurous acid does. The author discusses, at some length, the action of nitrous and sulphurous acids in tl eir respective relations to the manufacture of sulphuric acid; and, from his observations, he comes to the conclusion that an excess of sulphurous acid gas in the leaden chambers, and too high temperature, are the real causes of the useless waste of nitrous compounds in the manufacture of sulphuric acid on the large scale. (3) Decomposition by means of

46

hydrogen. While experimenting on this subject, the author has discovered a new substance in the following manner:-Nitrate of potassa is calcined in a platinum crucible, and nitrite of potassa formed; this is dissolved in water, and the solution thus obtained submitted to the action of sodium amalgam. The nitrite becomes reduced, and the new substance is obtained, exhibiting the following properties:-It decomposes instantaneously, and at the ordinary temperature, the salts of gold, silver, mercury, and copper, yielding, with the three first-named, the pure metals, and, with the last, the hydrated peroxide. Even when an excess of alkali is present, permanganate of potassa solution is instantaneously decolourised; heated with an excess of alkali, ammonia and protoxide of nitrogen are given off, and the reducing properties

are at once lost. The researches on this substance are not finished yet.

Eighth Memoir on the Electro-Capillary Phenomena. Part II. On the Cause of Electric Currents of the Muscles. Nerves, and Bones.-M. Becquerel.

Estimation of Weak Electro-Motive Force.-M. Becquerel. Constitution of the Solar Aureola, and on the Phenomena Exhibited by Rarefied Gases Rendered Incandescent by means of Electric Currents.-Rev. Father Secchi, S.J.-A lengthy paper accompanied by several diagrams.

Manufacture of Tam-Tams and Cymbals.-MM. Riche and Champion. This paper gives a description of the mode of manufacture of the metallic drums often imported from China under the name of gongs. The alloy made use of by the authors consists of 78 per cent of copper and 22 per cent of tin. The operations chiefly consist in a well-managed beating out and annealing of the disc, which is cast of a thickness of 23 m.m. originally.

Action of Dry Chlorine upon Dried Nitrate of Silver.-MM. Odet and Vignon. The authors, referring to a former paper published by them on this subject, now state that there are two phases to be distinguished in the reactions which here take place-viz., first, chloride of azotyl is formed, and oxygen set free; and, secondly, the chloride of azotyl reacts upon the excess of nitrate of silver. The following formulæ represent these phases:CI

Ist.

NO Ag

NO

Synthesis of Hydrosulphuric Acid.-M. Boillot.-The author states that, having filled gas jars with hydrogen, and having placed some sulphur in the same, the passing of an electric spark through the latter, igniting and volatilising it, produced a perceptible quantity of sulphuretted hydrogen.

Analysis of the Waters Contained in Arable Soils.-M. Schlæsing. This interesting paper is chiefly made up of results placed in a tabulated form, and, hence, not well suited for useful abstraction. Reply to M. Guadin's Paper "On the Manufacture of Artificial Precious Stones.-M. Feil.-A question of priority.

Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin, No. 17' 1869.

This number contains the following original papers:

The Antecedents (Vorstufen) of Urea in the Animal Organism.-MM. Schultzen and Nencki.-This paper, communicated from the chemical laboratory attached to and forming part of the anatomical dissection rooms, contains the record of a series of experiments instituted with dogs in order to elucidate, and, if possible, explain, the mode of the formation of urea and the prodromi of that substance.

Iodide and Bromide of Mercury.-M. Oppenheim.-The iodine compounds of the alcohol radicals do not act upon bichloride and bibromide of mercury in the same manner. In the case of the iodides of the alcohol radicals and the bichloride of mercury, there is formed at once an organic chloride and red iodide of mercury; but when organic iodides are brought into contact with bibromide of mercury in alcoholic solution, no action takes place. When, however, bibromide of mercury is dissolved in acetone, and the experiment repeated with this solution, a yellow crystalline substance is obtained; on investigation, this substance proved to be soluble in ether, to sublime without decomposition, and to have for its formula HgIBr. The authors observe that the formation takes place according to the formula RI+HgBr2=RBr+HgBrI, and that its composition is a new proof of the correctness of the atomic weight of mercury=200. Isomorphism of the Compounds of Mercury containing Two Atoms of Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine, and Cyanogen.-M. Groth. A crystallographical paper illustrated by diagrams.

Critical Remarks upon the Paper Read by M. Thomsen, "On the Estimation of the Heat Given Off by the Combustion of Organic Compounds."-M. Baeyer.

Cresylo-Purpuric Acid.-M. von Sommaruga.-The raw material employed by the author for his experiments is trinitro-cresylate of ammonia, an article of commerce known under the name of Victoria yellow. After having purified this salt by re-crystallisation, it was dissolved in water, and yielded, on the addition of hydrochloric acid, trinitro-cresylic acid. Instead of treating this acid with cyanide of potassium, the author prefers to use the purified Victoria yellow at once, and obtains, on addition to that substance an aqueous solution of the cyanide just named, the cresyl-purpurate of potassa, C,H&N KO.. When dry, this substance, on being suddenly heated, detonates. A

{CHEMICAL NEWS,

Jan. 28, 1870.

concentrated solution of this salt yields, on being mixed with a concentrated solution of chloride of ammonium, the ammonia salt of the new acid-viz., C,H ̧N ̧(NH)0 ̧.

Researches on Sandal-Wood.-M. Weidel.-After referring to some old researches on this subject, the author states that he exhausted 20 lbs. of the sandal wood shavings, first, with boiling water, to which some caustic potassa had been added. The deep red-coloured liquid was neutralised with hydrochloric acid, whereby a bulky brickcoloured precipitate was thrown down. This substance was collected on filter, washed, and dried, and next treated with ether, the excess of the latter removed by means of distillation, the residue diluted with alcohol, and left to evaporate by itself. The author thus obtained, among several coloured substances, a colourless crystalline body, which is soluble in boiling alcohol. This substance, not hitherto known, has been called by the author "santal;" it is only readily soluble in dilute solutions of caustic alkalies, but these solutions soon become coloured while in contact with air, passing from red, through green, to a dirty brown. The alcoholic solution of santal is neutral to test paper, and is coloured deep red with perchloride of iron. Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves santal, exhibiting a lemon-yellow coloured solution; formula of the dry substance, C.HO,. The author also found a cinnabar-red coloured crystalline material, which he called "santaline," though it is not quite identical with the santalin of M. Meier; according to M. Weidel's analysis, this santalin is C11H12O. It is probable that santal is in some manner connected with santalin, but this point is a subject for ulterior investigation.

Double Cyanogen Compounds.-M. Weselsky.-This lengthy memoir is divided into the following sections:-Double cyanides, having the general formula BaCy, R2Cy; sodiumcobaltocyanide, Na COCy124H,O; ammonium cobaltocyanide, Am,CO,Cy12; phenylammoniumcobaltocyanide, (C,H,N). CoCy12. And a series of more and more complicated bodies, as instance of which we quote-phenylammoniumcobaltocyanide phenylammonium hydrate

(C,H,N) Co2Cy12-2(C,H,NO).

Preparation and Properties of Hydrate of Chloral.-M Thomsen.

Preparation of Selenic and Selenious Acid.-M. Thomsen.Selenium is acted upon with concentrated nitric acid, and the solution obtained is evaporated until selenious acid begins to sublime; the residue is dissolved in water. This solution may contain, beside selenious acid, some sulphuric and selenic acid; in order to separate these from each other, baryta water is added. Since selenite of baryta is readily soluble in an excess of selenious acid, the addition of baryta water is continued until a small quantity of the fluid having been filtered does not yield any longer a permanent precipitate on the addition of some more baryta water. The fluid, having been filtered, is evaporated to dryness and submitted to sublimation; the selenious acid thus obtained is quite free from selenic and sulphuric acids. Selenic acid is prepared from this selenious acid by dissolving the latter in water, precipitating this solution with nitrate of silver; the insoluble selenite of silver thus obtained is shaken up with a mixture of water and bromine until the latter is in slight excess. The solution, having been filtered and concentrated by evaporation, yields selenic acid, quite free from sulphuric or selenious acid.

Simple Method for Recovering Iodine from Iodide of Mercury.-M. Henry.-The iodide of mercury is digested with water to which granulated zinc or iron borings are added. A soluble iodide of zinc or iron is obtained; from which the iodine is separated by means of sulphurous acid.

Parachlorotoluidine.-MM. Henry and Radziszewski.-The substance is a solid, hard, brittle, white-coloured body, fusing at 85°, and boiling, without decomposition, at 243".

Contribution to the History of Sulphuretted Ureas.-Dr. A. W. Hofmann.-A lengthy and concisely-written memoir, not well

suited for abstraction.

Some Ethers of Cresol.-M. Fuchs.-The author describesEthylcresol, CH12O; ethylparaoxybenzoic acid, C,H10O,; ethylencresol, C16H1902; acetylcresol, C,Ĥ1002.

Paratoluidine and Bromotoluol.-M. Wallach.-A critical review of M. Rosenstichl's labours on this subject.

Revue Hebdomadaire de Chimie, January 13, 1870.

Action of Sulphuretted Hydrogen upon Hydrated Peroxide and Peroxide of Iron at the Ordinary Temperature of the Air.M. Brescius.-The author has investigated this reaction by means of the following experiment:-Chemically-pure hydrated peroxide of iron was placed in a glass tube, and all the air expelled by méans of a curreaching the tube, through freshly-precipitated carbonate of iron susrent of carbonic acid gas, which was made to pass, previously to pended in water, in order to remove from the carbonic acid every trace of atmospheric oxygen. A current of sulphuretted hydrogen (also free from air) was then passed over and through the hydrated peroxide for twenty-four hours, and the excess of the latter gas removed by a current of dry and pure carbonic acid, care being taken to bring the temperature to 50°, in order simultaneously to dry the sulphuret obtained. The product thus obtained oxidises only very slowly in contact with dry air, and contains hardly more than mere traces of free sulphur. The author, therefore, concludes that the reaction takes place according to Berzelius's view, represented as follows:FeO3+3HS-Fe,S,+3HO. When perfectly pure and dry peroxide of iron is experimented with under the same conditions, no reaction whatever ensues.

Action of the Oxygen of the Air upon Sulphuret of Iron.M. Wagner.-According to the author, sulphuret of iron does not,