metals. A solution of chloride of platinum may be decomposed by shaking with mercury, and a dark-gray amalgam obtained. Further, the amalgam of platinum metals cannot be freed from mercury by distillation and ignition. By treating such an ignited residue with hydrochloric acid, and precipitation with chloride of ammonium, a compound, PdC1,5NH,CHg,,C,, has been obtained; it crystallizes in beautiful concentrically grouped needles; on ignition in hydrogen it yields a residue of mercury and palladium. From the residue, insoluble in hydrochloric acid, by dissolving in aqua regia and removing the platinum by chloride of ammonium, a filtrate was obtained, which, by treatment with salt, and chloride of ammonium and alcohol, yielded palladium-ammonium chloride, which the author finds has the composition PdCl2,2NHCl, and does not contain water of crystallization. On ignition it leaves a residue of spongy palladium, which exhibits the absorption of hydrogen in a very marked manner.-Jour. Chem. Soc., December, 1880, p. 854; from Ber. d. D. Chem. Ges., 13, pp. 1198 -1204.

Platinum-Action of Fusing Alkaline Carbonates.-Dr. Konink has found that, contrary to the previously entertained belief, fusing alkaline carbonates decidedly attack platinum vessels, particularly when heated to a high heat. The loss of a crucible amounted at one time to as much as 3.8 milligrams, and the platinum was recovered from the melted mass.-From Zeitsch. f. Anal. Chem, and Ph. Zeit. f. Russ.; in New Rem., August, 1880, p. 245.

Chloride of Platinum-Presence of Chloride of Gold as Impurity.Professor Gintl obtained anomalous results with some chloride of platinum, purchased from a well-known German manufacturer of plati num preparations. On examination he found the platinum salt to contain more than 3 per cent. of chloride of gold. The presence of this impurity, of course, interferes with determinations of potassium and ammonium, as some of the gold salt is apt to be reduced by the ether-alcohol used in the process, and metallic gold be thereby mixed with and weighed with the precipitate. This impurity may be removed by shaking the concentrated solution of chloride of platinum repeatedly with ether, which dissolves out the gold salt and takes up but little of the platinum salt. The remaining solution of chloride of platinum is then evaporated, until all odor of ether has disappeared, filtered to remove traces of reduced metallic gold; and, finally, warmed with a little chlorine-water.-New Rem., September, 1880, p. 272; from Ber. d. Est. Ges, and Pharm. Centralh.

Platinic Bromide-Preparation, etc.-V. Meyer and H. Züblin have obtained this compound easily by heating spongy platinum with bromine and aqueous hydrobromic acid at 180° C. in sealed tubes. The

residue left on evaporation of the filtered liquid is extracted with water to separate any platinous bromide, and the clear liquid again evaporated and dried at 180° C. Platinic bromide is a black-brown powder, which is not in the least deliquescent, but is readily soluble in water, and still more easily in alcohol and in ether.-Jour. Chem. Soc., July, 1880, p. 445; from Ber. d. D. Chem. Ges., 13, pp. 404, 405.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.

HYDROCARBONS.

(Including Volatile Oils, Resins, etc.)

Benzin and Benzol-Characters of Distinction.—Mr. J. Biel, drawing attention to a substitution of coal-tar benzin (benzol) for petroleumbenzin, in Russia, gives the following characters whereby the two may be distinguished:

1. Petroleum-benzin dissolves iodine with a blue-red (fuchsin) color; does not dissolve asphaltum or liquid storax; is not dissolved by alcohol of 82°; is not affected by fuming nitric acid, floating upon the surface unchanged after the addition of water; and has a specific gravity never exceeding 0.720.

2. Coal-tar benzin (benzol) dissolves iodine with a yellow-red (wine) color; easily dissolves asphaltum and liquid storax, and is easily dissolved by 82° alcohol; is energetically converted into nitrobenzol by fuming nitric acid, and after the addition of water sinks to the bottom of the liquid; and has a specific gravity never below 0.865.-Phar. Zeitschr. f. Russl., December 15th, 1880, p. 746.

Petroleum Spirit.-In continuation of his previous paper (see "Proceedings," 1880, p. 259), Mr. A. H. Allen has communicated some further notes on petroleum spirit, embracing also shale naphtha and coal-tar benzol.

Shale naphtha is the highly volatile and inflammable liquid obtained as a secondary product in the manufacture of paraffin-wax, and burning oil from the bituminous shale in the South of Scotland. In physical properties it presents the closest resemblance to petroleum spirit; both liquids are known in commerce as “ benzoline," and are usually said to be identical in chemical composition. Its behavior when treated with fuming nitric acid is quite different from that of petroleum spirit. The following table summarizes the author's tests for distinguishing the three hydrocarbons:

-Chem. and Drug., September, 1880, p. 386; from Proc. Br. Phar. Conf., 1880.

Benzin-Easy Method of Deodorization.-Mr. R. F. Fairthorne ob serves that if to each gallon of benzin three ounces of powdered quicklime are added, and well shaken, a great deal of the peculiar sulphuretted odor will be removed, and articles that have been washed in it will have no disagreeable smell. The addition of freshly burnt charcoal may also be made with advantage.-Am. Jour. Phar., August. 1880, p. 407.

Petroleum Product Suitable for Ointments.—Mr. R. C. Clark offers the following process, which will produce an ointment-like body of handsome appearance and quality: Take a quantity of crude paraffin, such as settles in the bottom of oil-tanks, and which is known in the oil regions as B. S. oil, and add, if necessary, to lower the boilingpoint, a sufficient quantity of crude petroleum rich in paraffin, such as Smith's ferry oil; place the whole in a still, and distil off at as low a temperature as possible all oils above 43° gravity, Baumé; filter the residuum through animal charcoal at a temperature of from 150° to 180° F. To make an exceedingly fine article, it will require three pounds of residuum and two and a half pounds of animal charcoal for one pound of finished goods. Two pounds of residuum will remain in the charcoal. A product having a melting-point of 112° F. should be aimed at; this can be made into an ointment having a lower melting. point by the addition of the proper proportion of the paraffin oil, which is sometimes called spindle oil.-Drug. Circ., January, 1881, p. 2.

Mineral Oils-Purification.-According to C. A. Riebeck, mineral oils may be deprived of phenol and disagreeable odor by washing them with a solution of chloride of lime in alcohol and caustic soda. According to the quality of the oil, 5 to 9 parts of this solution are used for every 100 parts of oil.-From Dingler's Polyt. Journ.; in New Rem., August, 1881, p. 244,

18

22

Picene-A New Hydrocarbon from Coal-tar.-O. Burg has extracted from the last products of the distillation of coal-tar pitch a new hydrocarbon, which he has named picene. It forms, when pure, white scales, showing a blue fluorescence, has the composition of CH14) and forms a new member of the series of hydrocarbons which commence with benzol (CH), and which includes naphthalene (C,,H), anthracene (CH), chrysene (C1,H12), and picene (CH). The new hydrocarbon is insoluble in most solvents; boiling glacial acetic acid, benzol, and chloroform only dissolve a slight amount; light oil of coal-tar, boiling at 150° to 170° C., is the best solvent. Its fusing-point is 345° C., the highest of any known hydrocarbon. The author also prepared its quinone (picequinone-CH,O,) and the bromine derivative CH,Br2. -Am. Jour. Phar., December, 1880, p. 611; from Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. Ges., xiii, p. 1834.

Picene-Occurrence in California Petroleum.-C. Gräbe and J. Walter have obtained picene from the crystalline substance resulting when the residue of the rectification of California petroleum is subjected to dry distillation at a high heat. By repeated extraction with alcohol, bisulphide of carbon, and benzol, having a high boiling-point, and final crystallization from the latter solution, the picene was obtained, slightly yellowish in color. They agree with Burg in the formula (CH), but give the melting-point at 330°. to 335° C. The boiling-point is 518° to 520° C.-Chem. Ztg., March 10th, 1881, p. 165; from Ber. d. Deutsch. Chem. Ges., pp. 14, 175.

Essential Oils--Improved Apparatus.-The well-known firm of Schimmel & Co., of Leipzig, have patented an improved apparatus for distilling volatile oils. A tall conical column is used as the still. About eight inches from its bottom is a perforated diaphragm, or false bottom, upon which the seeds, herbs, or other material to be distilled are placed or heaped, by introducing them through the still-head. A perforated coil below the diaphragm projects steam upwards through the mass, which is occasionally agitated from without by means of a horizontal stirring apparatus. Any condensed water which may run back is converted into steam by the heating coil at the bottom. Meanwhile the mass itself is heated by a long coil lining the body of the still, and carrying steam at a high pressure. Whatever of essential oil is carried forward by the steam, passes through the still-head into the cooler, where both oil and steam are condensed, and from where they flow (through a small funnel-tube) into three successive receivers, which are arranged like Florence flasks, and which retain the essential oils that have separated. From the last receiver the water, which is still impregnated with oil, enters another reservoir, and

from there it flows into a small globular still, situated underneath, in which, by means of steam, nearly all the oil still retained is again volatilized with the steam of water, and both again conducted to the cooler. From Dingler's Polyt. Jour., vol. 238, p. 428; New Rem., March, 1881, p. 78.

Volatile Oils-New Form of Apparatus for Distillation.-Messrs. Drew, Heywood, and Barron employ, for the distillation of volatile oils, an apparatus which is essentially that originally described by P. Perrenond (see Proceedings, 1876, pp. 272, 273), differing only in that a mechanical stirring arrangement is attached. This stirring arrange ment consists of a perpendicular shaft bearing a framework of iron curved so as to conform to the interior shape of the still, and carrying a chain which scrapes over the inner surface of the still while the stirrer is turned. This may be done either by hand or steam.-See New Rem., May, 1881, p. 136.

Essential Oils-Detection of Alcohol.-Mr. A. Drechsler employs a solution of 1 part potassium bichromate in 10 parts nitric acid, of specific gravity 1.30. Alcohol, if present, is at once betrayed by the pungent odor of ethyl nitrite.-Zeitschr. f. Anal. Chem. and Chem. News, December 23d; New Rem., March, 1881, p. 81.

Oil of Turpentine-New Uses.-Dr. James Foulis mentions, in the Edinburgh "Medical Journal," the following uses of turpentine that are not generally appreciated. In making post-mortem examinations, by coating the hands and arms with oil of turpentine, the risk of putrid infection is much diminished, and on washing afterwards with soap and water, all odor is completely removed. He accounts for this. by a theory that, when the skin is unprotected, the epithelial layer of the skin absorbs the fatty and other fluids, the odor of which is given off for some time in spite of frequent washing. His method is to rinse the hands thoroughly with the oil before commencing the examination. After the work is finished, the hands are to be scrubbed with turpentine, using a nail-brush, after which soap and hot water are to be employed; a pleasant terebene odor remains.

Dr. Foulis also uses oil of turpentine as a remedy for parasitic skin affections. He gives the following method pursued in several cases of ringworm of the scalp. The head was held over a basin of hot soapwater, and oil of turpentine was then poured on each affected spot. When smarting began to be quite apparent, the head was well washed with the soap-water, rubbing in the soap. One application of the turpentine is usually sufficient to destroy the parasite.-New Rem., December, 1880, p. 371.

Colophony-Products of Distillation.-Mr. Ad. Renard submitted. the products of the distillation of colophony to repeated fractional