The portion boiling between 60° and 80° was washed with water, distilled from quick-lime, and finally treated with an excess of sodium to remove any alcohols present, and rectified. The liquid then boiled between 66° and 68°, and possessed an ethereal odor, and gave the following results upon analysis: 0.2286 gram of substance furnished 0.5620 gram of CO, and 0.2827 gram of H2O. C Theory for C ̧¤‚ОС2H ̧. Found. 67.04 13.74 The analysis leaves no doubt that the substance is the ethylpropyl ether which was first prepared by Chancel14 by the action of ethyl iodide upon propyl alcohol and caustic potash. Ethyl and Isobutyl Alcohols. Equivalent parts of these alcohols were subjected to the usual treatment. Sulphurous anhydride was freely evolved, and a yellow distillate with a very disagreeable odor obtained. The distillate consisted almost entirely of undecomposed alcohols and no ether could be obtained from it. The mixture behaved exactly as did the isobutyl alcohol alone. Methyl and Isoamyl Alcohols. Methylisoamyl ether was prepared by Williamson15 by the continuous etherification of a mixture of these alcohols. We repeated his experiments, following his directions with the utmost exactness. Sulphurous anhydride was evolved in large quantities. In the distillate obtained we found undecomposed alcohols and products similar to those obtained from isoamyl alcohol alone under like conditions, but were unable to detect the presence of methylisoamyl ether. We made repeated attempts at 135° and 140°, but the distillate in every case consisted almost entirely of the alcohols which had distilled undecomposed as soon as the sulphuric acid had been all reduced. An attempt by Guthrie16 to obtain ethylisoamyl ether by continuous etherification, in the manner described by Williamson, gave similar results, and Guthrie was unable to obtain the ether by this method. As our experiments show that etherification does not take place to any extent, certainly in the "Zeit. f. Chem. 1869, 367. 15 Ann. d. Chem. v. 81, 77. 16 Ann. d. Chem. v. 105, 37. case of ethyl alcohol, below 105°, and as isoamyl alcohol decomposed sulphuric acid with the evolution of sulphurous anhydride at that temperature, it is evident that the ordinary process of continuous etherification can only be applied to the formation of the simple and mixed ethers from the simplest alcohols, and it is not probable that it can be used satisfactorily for the etherification of alcohols containing more than three atoms of carbon. ANTHRACENE FROM WATER-GAS TAR. By ARTHUR H. ELLIOTT, School of Mines, Columbia College, New York, N. Y. [ABSTRACT.] THIS paper treats of the determination of anthracene in various samples of water-gas tar as obtained from gas-works using this socalled water-gas process. The tar is obtained in that part of the process where the mixture of carbonic oxide and hydrogen containing the vapor of petroleum naphtha is passed through red hot retorts, and the members of the paraffine series of hydrocarbons become, under the influence of the heat, converted into a mixture of ethylene, acetylene and members of the aromatic series. ON THE CHEMISTRY OF FISH. By Prof. W. O. ATWATER, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn. [ABSTRACT.] THIS paper gives a brief account of the progress of an investigation of the chemical composition and nutritive values of American food-fishes and invertebrates, which is being conducted in the laboratory of Wesleyan University under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Fish Commission, and of which brief accounts were presented at the Boston and Cincinnati meetings of the Association. In its present status the investigation includes: 1. Chemical analyses of: 2. Experiments upon the digestibility of the flesh of fish. 3. of fish. Studies of the chemical constitution of the muscular tissues A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE COALS OF KANSAS. By Prof. E. H. S. BAILEY, State University, Lawrence, Kansas. [ABSTRACT.] THE Coal measures that underlie the eastern portion of Kansas are more extensively worked than ever before. The inclination of the strata towards the N. W. carries the beds deeper from the surface as we advance in this direction. Veins 3 ft. in thickness are found in the extreme S. E. while those worked in the Osage region are often only 15 in. thick. Without giving details as to the occurrence of the coals, an examination of the composition of samples from the principal localities has given the following results: Name. Cher- Pitts- Ft. Osage Burlin- Scran- Leaven- Warren Elk Co. If the moisture and impurities are eliminated and the per cent of heat-producing constituents only is considered, calculating the per cent, and dividing C by volume and combustible matter gives the lower line of figures. This gives a better opportunity to compare the different coals. It will be noticed that the S. E. coals, viz., Cherokee, Pittsburg, and Ft. Scott, properly belong to one class, while those occurring in later strata, as Osage Co., etc., belong to another. The latter contain more volume and combustible matter in proportion to fixed carbon as would be expected of later coals and those more closely related to true lignites. FERMENTATION WITHOUT COMBINED NITROGEN. SPRINGER, Cincinnati, Ohio. [ABSTRACT.] By Dr. ALFRed BEFORE entering into detail concerning the results attained in my experiments in this direction, I wish to make a few remarks on the great liability to error, to which the experimentalist is exposed at every step owing to the extreme minuteness of the ferments in question. A good objective with a high eye-piece shows the ferments as colorless rods, of an inch in length and about in width, very difficult to distinguish from the fluid in which they are immersed. Again unless many are under the field of vision, it is almost impossible to determine whether they possess motion independent of the Brownian movement. Although there may be thousands present in one drop of fluid, yet their mass is infinitely small compared to it, therefore an analysis of the fluid can be but a poor criterion of their composition. About two years ago, while experimenting with infusions of the roots of plants in water, I discovered a ferment which possessed the power of dissociating the nitrates of the soil. I noticed a copious evolution of nitric oxide proceed from roots rich in nitrates. It immediately struck me, that this arose from the action of small organisms which covered the roots of plants. Starting out with this idea, I made separate infusions of the roots, stems and leaves of tobacco, dividing each set into four parts. Fermentation was excited in the first by the addition of small quantities of yeast, in the second by urine, in the third by the so-called spontaneous method, and in the last by the newly discovered ferment. Not only were the nitrates originally present completely dissociated, but also considerable quantities of freshly added nitrates underwent the same process. All the infusions contained amongst other ferments one special kind, noticeable by its extreme activity. In appearance it closely resembles the butyric ferment, being composed of small cylindrical rods rounded at the extremities, generally isolated, or, when joined, two by two, acting as one body. They move rapidly with a wriggling motion and often bend their bodies until they form a perfect circle. While continuing my researches on the functions of this ferment, it occurred to me that owing to their ejecting the nitrogen they might possibly make use of only a very limited supply thereof. In order to prove this I added the nitrogen in the form of potassium nitrate and ammonium carbonate. Eight flasks with starch in solution and traces of potassium phosphate and magnesium sulphate were sowed with an imponderable trace of the ferment. To four, potassium nitrate, and to the other four ammonium carbonate, was added in decreasing quantities. Calcium carbonate was then added to counteract too great acidity. All the flasks containing variable quantities of potassium nitrate fermented in the same length of time, and sooner than those containing the nitrogen in form of ammonium carbonate; these also ferment independent of the amount of ammonium carbonate present. The next step taken was to exclude nitrogenous constituents from the next four flasks. To my surprise fermentation set in six days after a trace of the ferment was added. Thinking that starch might contain some gluten, I then took some pure white rock-candy, recrystallized it from alcohol three times, added potassium phosphate, magnesium sulphate and calcium carbonate; sowed the ferment therein and in each case an active fermentation set in, resulting in the formation of butyric acid. The utmost care was taken in all these experiments, the flasks carefully stopped with cotton so that nothing but filtered air could. pass into them. These experiments differ so materially from any thing ever before observed that I cannot do otherwise than state the bearings they must have on the study of fermentation and life itself. Provided there was no error and I feel almost certain there was not, the ferments could do only one of two things, either abstract nitrogen from the air, or use no nitrogen at all. The first of these cases seems improbable for the following reasons: nitrogen has very little affinity for the other elements entering into the composition of life; if nitrogen were abstracted from the air the ferments would be apt to remain on the surface of the fluid, to which the air would have access; but this is not the case, for the ferments are found in all parts of the fluid. Lastly, three combustion analyses and staining fluids under the microscope showed no trace of albuminoid matter. The combustion analyses were made two weeks after the sowing of the ferments and the objection might be made that not enough ferments had yet developed to show the presence of nitrogen. At any rate I will make some more analy ses when six weeks have elapsed. |