84 ABSTRACTS OF CHEXICAL PAPERS.An a1 y t i c a 1 Chemistry,Preparation of Standard Solutions of Carbon Bisulphide.By A. LIVACHE (Compt. rend., 99, 697-698).-When carbon bisul-phide is agitated for a short time with a solution of soap in whichpetroleum has been incorporated by the method previously described(Compt. rend., 97, 249), the bisulphide will dissolve to the extentof 200 grams per litre, although only 150 grams of soap are present,and this solution can be diluted to any extent wit,hout precipitatingthe bisulphide. Resin soaps and various intermediate solvents, suchas petroleum, essence of terebenthene, he., can also be employed,and in this way solutions of different composition, containing definiteamounts of carbon bisulphide, can readily be prepared.Estimation of Minute Quantities of Silver.By C. F. F ~ H R(Cliem. News, 50, 114--115).--For the determination of very smallquantities of silver, the author proceeds as follows :-I0 grams of sub-stance mixed in the crucible with 20 grams of a mixture of eqnaIparts of flour and potash, are fused with 30 grams of proof lead andsalt in a muffle a t a bright red heat for about three hours. The leadregulus is scorified once, then, cupelled ; when it is the size of a poppyseed, i t is removed to a fresh cupel for completion, and is finallyfinished before the blowpipe. The silver bead, which should be per-fectly bright and white, is carefully removed, wiped with blotting-paper, and its diameter measured on a scale, which consists of twoconverging lines, graduated so as to show the amount of silver ; thebead is moved along until it touches both lines, and the reading istaken two or three times, with the aid of a lens.By this method abead may be measured which represents 0*00005 per cent. of silver,when 10 grams of substance are taken.Estimation of Manganese in Cast Iron or Spiegeleisen. ByC. L. BLOXAM (Chem. News, 50, 112--113).--Tht! following process isrecommended for the determination of manganese in presence of largequantities of iron :-The metal is dissolved in hydrochloric acid, and after the removalof carbon and silica in the usual way, the solution is heat'ed with afew crystals of potassium chlorate, diluted, nearly neutralised withammonia, the iron converted into acetate by means of ammonia mixedwith excess of acetic acid, and excess of sodium phosphate is thenadded.The precipitated iron phosphate is separated, redissolved, re-precipitated, &c. The combined filtrates from these two precipitationsare mixed with excess of ammonia and boiled (or, better, kept near theboiling point for one hour, and left standing over night). Manganeseainnionium phosphate is precipitated, filtered off, washed, ignited, andweighed as pyrophospbate, Mn2P2O7. Good results are quoted, andcompsre iavourably with some obtained by the bromine method.C. H. B.D. A. L.D. A. LANALTTKAL CEIEXISTRY. 85Volumetric Estimation of Manganese ; Influence of OrgmicMatter and Iron. By J. B. ~IACKINTOSH (Chem. News, 50, 75)-I n reply to a previous communication (Abstr., 1884, 220) of the author,it was suggested (ibid., 499) tlint the conditions under which hcworked were not the same as are encountered in the analysis ofspiegeleisen, and on this basis the author’s views were contested.111repudiation of this the author has now made seven experiments withspiegeleisen, using the method described in his previous paper (Zoc. cit.),and 0.5 gram for each experiment : in the 1st and 2nd, it was dissolvedin hydrochloric acid ; in the 3rd, 25 C.C. of standard potassium perman-ganate was added ; in the 4th, 35 C.C. permanganate and a considerablequantity of a mixture of various kinds of organic matter, which mereadded to the manganese solution after the hydrochloric acid wasreplaced by nitric3 acid, the heating being then continued until theorganic matter had disappeared ; in the 5th, the spiegeleisen was dis-solved in nitric acid, the 6th was the same as the 5th, with the addi-tion of organic matter, and in the 7th hydrochloric acid was thesolvent, 35 C.C.of permanganate being added without first evaporatingoff the hydrochloric acid. From the results of these experiments, it 13evident that neither the iron nor the carbonaceous matter of thcspiegeleisen, nor the extraneous organic matter, haye any practicaleffect on the result ; but that hydrochloric acid has the effect of lowey-ing the results, presumably from its action on the manganic oxide ;hence it is important that the potassium chlorate employed should befree from chloride.Expt.-25352535-Other substances present.I- ---Organic matter .. . . . . . .Organic matter . . , . . . . .Hydrochloric acid . . . . . .Oxidising power ofprecipitate, in terms ofC.C. permanganate.13 *1513.1523 -0526.9013 .I523.1026 -55Expt.Oxidising powerof precipitate less Mn inspiegel taken, in termsof C.C. permanganate.-9.9013.759 -9513.408G ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.The results were as in Table, p. 85, 0.5 gram of spiegeleisen beingtaken in each case. D. A. L.Separation of Arsenic from Antimony and Tin. By F.HUFSCHMIDT (Bw., 17, 2245-2248) .-When experimenting withRunsen’s and with E. Fischer’s (Abstr., 1881,191) methods, the authorfound that when the arsenic was present in the pentad state, it wasvery difficult to drive it all over by distillation with hydrochloric acid.He finds, however, that the following modification of this methodyields very accurate results.The solution containing arsenic is made up to about 250 C.C. by theaddition of concentrated hydrochloric acid.This liquid is thensaturated with hydrochloric acid and distilled, a rapid current ofh~-drochloric acid being passed through the solution during the wholeof the distillation. Almost every trace of arsenic passes over in thefirst 50 C.C. of distillate, but for perfect safety the author advises thecollection of about 100 C.C. of distillate. The results are equally goodwith arsenic as with arsenious salts. The very volatile arseniouschloride fclrmed should be condensed by passing into a Woulff bottlecontaining potash.Theauthor gives numerous test estimations of arsenic, both alone and inthe presence of antimony and tin, the results being very close andconcordant. The arscnic found was almost always within 0.3 percent. of that employed, when from 0.07 to 0.15 gram arsenic wasused. L. T. T.No trace of tin or antimony is volatilised.Examination of Water. By R. ANGUS SMITH (Second Report(1883) to the Local Government Board as Iuspector under the RiversPollutiort PreveiEtion Act).-This posthumous report consistsIof aninquiry into certain characteristics of potable and other waters, andespecially of new methods proposed by the author for examining theorganic suhtances found in them which are of such a character asmay be supposed to affect health.The first, which promised to bethe most important, indicates a method for measuring the amount oforganic activity, or animal or vegetable vitality, amongst the microbes(at least of a certain class) which exist in the waters. The secondpart of the report continues the proof, formerly given in the author’sfirst report (1882), of the natural purification of rivers, now, in hisopinion, beyond dispute, as it can be shown in the laboratory. Thethird part’ is an account of a method for examining water by means ofKocli’s gelatin process. This part the author considered to be onlypartly worked out, but its general character, he says, may be seen,and the novelty of photographic proofs is a valuable addition t oordinary chemical analysis.Part I.The Vydrogert Process.-This process depends on the factthat most natural waters when treated with sugar and allowedt o stand, after a certain time give off hydrogen gas. The for-mation of hydrogen during the decomposition of sugar by vibrioshas already been observed, and also its formation in very smallquantities from organic matter in some decompositions. The author,however, was unaware t h a t Heinsch, who first used sugar as ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY. 81C.C. ofnitrogenfrom50 C.C. ofn7ater.evolvedtrst for water, observed that hydrogen gas was liberated, and hetherefore has brought forward the action ol sugar on the organicmatter in water, as a method for measuring the amount of organiclife existing in the water, by means which may be considered aspurely chemical.Tubes 7+ inches long, 3 inch diameter, and holding 50 c.c., werefilled with the water t o be examined, and 1 per cent.of grape-sngarwas added. These tubes were then inverted, sealed a t the bottomwith mercury, and allowed to stand f o r some weeks. If the purestdistilled water be used no gas is evolved, nor is gas evolved if thenatural water be first boiled. From most of the waters experimentedwith, gases commenced to collect in five days, and for purposes ofcomparison, the gases were collected and analysed after 21 days inthe whole series of results given in this report. The total amount ofgas obtained in that time varied from 0 O.C.to 14c.c. The amount ofgas remaining dissolved in the water after the evolution in the coldwas not considered, but it was the author's intention to have includedthis in his investigations. The presence of carbonic anhydride wasproved by absorption with caustic potash, the absence of oxygen bypyrogallol, and the presence of hydrogen by adding oxygen andexploding the mixture. Thepresence of carbonic anhydride was to be expected, the author beforewnalj sis having presumed that all the gas evolved was carbonic anhy-dride. Nitrogen had come partly from the nitrogenous compoundsdecomposed, and partly from nitrogen in solution, and it also was theauthor's intention to have investigated this decomposition. Thequestion considered in this report is the production of hydrogen, andas neither carbonic anhydride nor nitrogen has ever appeared in suchwses without hydrogen, the author considers that gas to be thecharacteristic of the decomposition.The results of the analysis of the gases evolved from a large numberof waters collected from various parts of the country are given in full.They are grouped iu 21 tables, of which the following are examples :-The following is a description of the process.The residue was found to be nitrogen.c.c* Ofcarbonicevolved50 C.C.ofwater.anhSdrideTABLE Il.-London Waters; received May 8, 1883. Sugar alone added,ABCL'.C of gasevolvedfrom50 C.C. ofwater.7-095-758.31C.C. ofhydrogenevolvedfrom5oc.c. ofa-ater.4.403 -745 *470.93 1-761-40 I 0.612-07 0.77Percentage composition ofgases.II I62-04! 13.16 24.8063-00 24-44 10.5663.21 1 24.90 1 9.200.Z l00.000.0T9- 'PIon. 000.000.060. Vl$6*'Z108.9118- €1ZT. EZ79.800.0oc). 080.01:00.000.000.006. 990.609.468. OTES. 689. I:00.000- 092.100.000.000.096. Z49.189.145- 0 'Po. TTZ. T:00.000- 048.000.000- 000.0'PZ- I:01. 1:94.099. 0 zv- 011. TI:00.000. 000.000.000.000.008- 919P- 64s. L11- 8 'Po. E00.F6r: 700.0 x00.0 P69.8 I00-0 H00.0 000.0 ic0 o . n 300.01 3EC*V 809.v B''SI:.ZT a94.091.1:6E. T0v.v 84.9 39.8 bZ-8 899.9 LE.01 'Bzo. oz00.0196.609.4 309.9 800.8 Bi I61:- 9z4. z28.ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.89The names of the London water companies to which the letters A, B, and C referare omitted in the report. The letters in Table 15refer to the following samples :-A. Fountain below Hadfield, Woodhead.B. Paradise Well, village of Tintwhistle.C. 1st Reservoir, Tintwhistle.D. 2nd Reservoir.E. Scum from 2nd Reservoir.F. Stream, mountain eide, between Tintwhistle and Woodhead.G. Mountain stream.H. Mountain stream, near Crowden Station.I. 3rd Reservoir.J. Mountain stream, near Woodhead.K. Mountain stream, 1 mile from Woodhead Station.L. 5th Reservoir.The following table gives the werage amount of hydrogen from allthe waters examined, and the number of samples in each table :-Derbyshire waters (Buxton and neighbourhood),Sugar done added to the waters ..............April 19th, 1883-Sugar and sodium phosphate added.. ..........Flintshire waters (Mostyn, Holywell, St. Asaph)-Sugar alone added to the waters ..............Sugar and sodium phosphate added.. ..........Sugar alone added to the waters ..............Sugar and sodium phosphate added,. ..........Sugar alone added to the waters ..............Sugar and sodium phosphate added.. ..........The waters were allowed to stand for 48 hours:then the clear water was syphoned off, andsugar added to the clear water .. ., ..........The waters were allowed to stand fGr 48 hours:then the clear water was syphoned off, andsngar added to the deposit.. ................London waters ; received Feb.13th, 1883-London waters ; received April 12th, 1883-London waters; received May 8th, 1883-Table 11 (see page 87) ......................Table 12 ( .. 88) ......................Table 13 ( .. 88) ......................Table 14 ( .. 88) ......................Lancashire waters ; collected October, 1883-Table 15 ..................................Sewage rivers: Irk, Irwell, Medlock, and canalWith sugar addotl .......................... waters-Averageamount ofhydrogenevolved in C.C.from 50 C.C.water.1 *091 *561 -952 -012 -692.592 -853 *202 5 43 *5'74 -543 -913 -004.843 -718 *88Numberofsamples.9977565555333311190 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.amount ofhgdrogenevolved in C.O.from 50 C.C.OfAverage 1----------Salford sewage water-Scum from reservoir a t Woodhead ................IMud from a stream at Buxton-With sugar added ..........................Sugar alone added .........................Sugar and sodium phosphate added.. ..........5 -0416 -804 -495 *53water.4111The author considered his results-when it is remembered that theyare first experiments of a very delicate nature-as fairly uniform,although in certain instances unexpected results were obtained. Fromthe analyses it is found that the higher waters in Derbyshire giveout less hydrogen than the lower waters where sewage enters thebrooks, and also give out less gas than the lower waters of thedrainage of the Thames Valley, or any other place. The waters ofLongdendale and neighbourhood, which form the supply of Man-Chester, as a rule are very free from hydrogen, and in some trials ofManchester water no hydrogen was obtaiiied, showing the greatpurity a t times of the water so far as this test is capable of illus-trating it.A seyies of experiments was also made to test the effect of bacteriaon the evolution of hydrogen, and to find if they were the actual causeof the evolution.The microbes used were obtaine3 from the surfaceof gelatin which had been dissolved in water containing more or lessbewage, and allowed to stand for a time. The liquid portion at thesurface contained countless numbers of bacteria; and in each case asmall drop was all that was required.The results showed (for fullparticulars the original paper must be consulted) that Medlock waterwhich contains sewage and chemicals, gave out its hydrogen mcchmore quickly when bacteria mere added : that the addition of bac-teria to distilled water produces results such as are found in less purewater ; that Mnnchester water when boiled and thus renderedincapable of producing gas from sugar, gave out hydrogen when bac-teria were added ; and that by adding more sugar and bacteria to awater which had given oxit a great deal of hydrogen, gases con-sisting of hydrogen and carbonic anhydride, with little or no nitrogen,were again evolved.The author, in discussing the value of this method, considered thatin many natural waters sugar is made to ferment and give outhydrogen gas, and that the amount of this gas, which in some is verysmall, increases in proportion to the impurity in the water.Thatthe kind of microbes is such, that if present in large numbersthey render the water impure to the senses, and that decompoANALYTIC IL CHEMISTRY. 91sition is caused by organisms i n this way is shown by the absence ofhydrogen on treating boiled water by sugar.That this method of estimation deals with bodies of an offensivecharacter we have the fact of their increase from the purest water ofthe moiintain t o the worst sexage. As far as the hydrogen is con-cerned, there seems to be a regular gradation. According to Pasteur,it appears that microzymes may be various in activity without changingtheir appearance, that they may be attenuated to any extent, and thattheir power may be virulent to any extent.To say that a certainclass of microbes is present is not to have a ver-y definite idea, theimportance lies in the activity. The author could not say whetherthis method is a real measurement of the amount of organic life, oronly a measurement of the vitality of certain organisms? but ifmicrobes when very active decompose sugar and produce hydrogen ingreater abundance than when inactive, then the hydrogen becomes themeasure of their power.The author has further discussed and speculated as t o the value ofthis method a t great length, but finally says that whether it measuresthe activity, quantity, or other characteristics of the organisms in thewater, is a matter yet to be decided.Part 11.The Eliininutioii of h‘itrogen during Putrefaction of Water.-This is a continuation of the author’s work published in his firstreport on water (1882). From the first report he quotes largely, andhas shown (1) that bodies containing protei’n compounds when inabundance of water and in common air may be oxidised and form nitricacid ; (2) that the same organic bodies in a state of decomposition,and in water, may be oxidised a t the expense of the nitrates, and giveoff nitrogen. In the first case, a certain qnantity of sewage is in thewater, b u t is overpowered by the air, in the second the sewage is inexcess, and overpowers the nitrates. He has shown also that thepurification of sewer river water is effected in nature first by putre-faction, and secondly by thorough oxidation.He gives some furtherresults which show the escape of free nitrogen from sewer river waterwhen treated with potassium nitrate.(1.) 1150 C.C. of Medlock water when treated with 1 gram of nitregave off 103.3 C.C. nitrogen in 39 days (1 gram potassium nitratecontains 110.2 C.C. nitrogen).(2.) Bridgewater Canal water and Manchester water, when treatedwith potassium nitrate, gave off no nitrogen after 46 days’ observation.(3.) Salford sewage water when treated with 0.1 per cent. of iiitregave off the whole of the nitrogen contained in the potassium nitrate,in 22 to 28 days ; in some cases a little more was given off afterwards.The remainder of this part, contains Lauth’s results (Conzpt.Tend.,84, 417) on the same subject.Part 111. The Gelatin Pmcess.-The use of gelatin as an indicatorof the amount of rital matter in water was suggested by Koch’swork. The chief advantage in the method is that the gelatin preventsthe water from moving, and that every point which has vitality in i tis able to assert itself, the number existing in the water being seen a ta glance.A solution containing 6 per cent. of solid thin leaf gelatin wasThe following is the method employed by t8he author :9-2 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.heated to loo", clarified with fresh albumin, and filtered. This solu-tion melts a t about 27". 25 C.C. of this solution, at a little over 27",were mixed with 25 C.C.water in a test-tube, about 8 inches long and1 iuch diameter, closed with a stopper of cotton-wool, and kept for a,few minutes a t 27". Along with the waters to be tested, distilledwater and Manchester water were thus treated for the sake of com-parison. The rest of the process consists in observing day by daythe changes in the gelatin. The number of spheres or centres ofmicrobes is one measure, the depth to which the surface becomesliquid is a second, and the number of days before putrescence sets inis a third. I n the case of most waters, the gelatin is completelydecomposed in about 7 days, but much depends on the temperature,and in the case of pure distilled water it may keep for a much longertime ; a photograph of a gelatin solution with distilled water is shownwhich at the end of 15 days is still quite undecomposed.The resulhs seem to show that in sewer waters, and in very impurewaters, the gelatin is rendered liquid a t the surface, and this fluidityincreases until the whole becomes liquid.The liquid is alive with bac-teria. I n the case of potable waters, such as the Manchester water, thewhole tube becomes in two or three days filled with perfectly formedtranspa4rent spheres at the bottom of which is a little white line.These are fonnd to be liquid and to contain a great mass of activeand inactive bacteria. Also a number of minute white specks appearwhich seem to indicate the number of points of vitality; they arealso filled with bacteria, but of a different kind, as they do not formliquid spheres around them.In some cases, gases are evolved, andform globules or discs in the gelatin. The effects, or rate of effects,depends mnch on the temperature, and, without comparison withknown waters, conclusions should not be drawn.Of all the forms of change, that which seems to be connectedwith the most offensive water, is the liquefying of the surface. Theother changes are more or less objectionable, according to the numberof points of activity which the author considers are measures ofimpurity. Whether these germs are to be sixpposed as productive ofdisease, or productive of it by their multiplication, the author wasunable to say, but in those cases where they are most numerous, thewater is not so good to the senses, and therefore the method is clearlyan independent measure of excellence.The hydrogen method agreed well with the results obtained withgelatin, but the gelatin sometimes showed minute impurities whenhydrogen did not appear.Whether the microbes which transformgelatin also produce hydrogen, the author was unable to decide, but asthe results correspond very fairly, the probability is in favour of theaffirmative.The author had prepared photographs of 125 samples of watertreated with gelatin (in some cases with sugar, or sodium phosphate,or both, in addition), and has minutely described many of them.Unfortunately the whole of the photographs could not be included inthe report, but those selected by the author are very good examples ofthe appearance of the gelatin after 3, 5, or 7 days.A few of themare comparable. The photographs of a series of London waters w i t ASALTTICAL CHEJIISTRY. 93gelatin may be compared with those of a series of Derbyshire andFlintshire waters-the London waters seem to be inferior to the others.Manchester water was always found superior by this test to Londonwater. For t#he description of the changes, the original paper and thephotographs themselves must be referred to. The following is adescription of a few :-October, 1883.--Distilled water : No alteration during 8 days’observation.Manchester water (from laboratory tap) : After 3 days, innumerablesmall spheres appeared. After 4 days, these spheres had increasedin size, the surface of the gelatin remaining firm.After 5 days, adeposit had formed at the bottom of the spheres, and transformationof the gelatin was taking place very rapidly.Samples of vater taken from the reservoirs for the supply ofManchester, between Woodhead and Hatfield, gave similar results tothe Manchester tap water. Samples of water, taken from the moun-tain sides at Woodhead, developed a large number of “ points ” after3 days. After 4 days, discs of gas appeared, but spheres were absent.“Dots” or small “specks,, were observed, but they did not increasein size.Scum taken from one of the reservoirs showed after three daysinnumerable dots dispersed throughout the gelatin, and a large numberof discs of gas also appeared. The gelatin gradually softened, andthe development of the germs was far more advanced than in any ofthe other specimens of water under examination.April 2Oth, 1883.--DistiIled water : No alteration after 15 days’observation.Manchester water : On the second day a number of mimite spheresappeared, which had enlarged on the third day, the surface of thegelatin being unaltered.On the fourth day the spheres had increasedin size and number, and a deposit was forming at the bottom of thespheres.Water from below Buxton receiving sewage, although lookingclear: On the second day, a distinct band of minute spheres appearedat the surface of the gelatin. On the third day, the surface of thegelatin was quite liquid to a depth of 5 mm., and of a greenish colour.On the fourth day, a few discs of gas appeared, the surface of thegelatin being liquid to a depth of 7 mm.In the same way, London water collected from the various com-panies’ supply in February, April, and May, 1883, are described bythe aid of photographs, and compared with distilled and Manchesterwater. A.B.Testing Mineral Oils. By E. VALENTA (Dhtgl. potyt. J., 253,418-421) .-Referring to the adulteration of mineral oils with resinoils the author, in a previous communication (Abstr., 1884, 1079)ziientioned that by the aid of glacial acetic acid at a certain tempera-ture, it is possible to detect adulterations of mineral oils with resinoils with compayative ease. He has cont,inued his researches in thisdirection, and now gives the results of some experiments which hehas obtained in conjunction with Feigerle94 ABSTRACTS OF CHERIICAL PAPERS.-NO.-12345678910-flolubility Values of D$eren,t Mineral Oils.i3p. gr. of GlncialAcetic Acid at 15" = 1.0562.Name ofmineral oil.Lubricating oilDitto , . . . , . . .Engine oil e e l -low)Machine oil(yellow)Heavy mineraloil (thin)Light mineraloil (thin)Fatty mineraloil (thick)Green oil . . . .Blueoil.... ..Vulcan oil., . .0 -90900 -90900 *91390 *91090 *90900.88800 *90700 -91050 -90160 *9259Oil dis-solved by100 gramsglacialacetic acida t 50".grams.5 -7648- --5 -77895 *73334 "77784 *28104 5'0092 *67296 -49886 *01703.3451Oil dis-solved by10 C.C.glacialicetic acida t So^.-grams.0 '60890.61040 *60560 *50460 -45227I0*4965 I 0 -2823 J0 -68490 *63420 *3525Remarks.---Pale yellow, clear, highlyfluorescent oil, almostcolourless.Dark orange colour,odourless, highly fluor-escent, and clear.Pale ydQW, highly fluor-escent, and odourless.Oils having a pale ytl-low to orange-yellowcolour, fluorescent,perfectly neutral, andodourless.Blackish - brown non -transparent oil, having6 tarry odour.Dark brownish - red,opaque, highly fluor-escent, tarry odour.Almost black - brown,opaque, thin liquid oil,t,arry odour, highlyfluorescent.For quantitative estimation, the method adopted is as follows :-2 C.C.of the oil are treated with 10 C.C. glacial acetic acid, and heatedfor five minutes in a loosely corked test-tube in a water-bath. Themixture is then passed tlhrough a small filter, and the middle part ofthe filtrate collected.A weighed quantity of this solution is titratedwith standard alkali and the weight of glacial acetic acid containedin the solution calculated. The difference in the weight between thesolution and the glacial acetic acid gives the aniount of oil containedin the former. It has been found, however, by experiment that thesolubility does not increase with the percentage of resin oil containedin a mineral oil, hence this method is not suitable for the quantitativedetermination of the amount of resin oil in such mixtures. The sub-joined table gives the numbers which were obtained for the solubilityof different mixtures of oils containing a known amount of resinoilANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.95Amount ofresin oil in themixture.Solubility of Diferent Micctures of Yellow Engine Oil and Crude ResinSp. gr. at 15": Glacial Acetic Acid = 1.0562, Mineral Oil at 50".Oil = 0.9139, and Resir, Oil = 1.0023.Oil dissolved Oil dissolvedby 100 gramsglacial acetic , glacial aceticacid. acid.Remarks. by 10 C.C.--Per cent. by vol.0255075100-------grams. grams.5 -7333 0 -6056 The crude resin oil was obtained7 -3973 0 3'796 from Wagenmann, of Vienna.8 *3653 0 -8816 I t had a dark brown colour,12 -5601 1 * 3237 tarry odour, high viscosity,16 -8782 1 .'ips8 and resinified in the air.The rotatory power of resin oils may be employed for the recogni-tion of the purity of a mineraI oil, the latter being optically inactive.For this purpose, the author recommends the use of &Iitscherlich'spolarising apparatus, with the modification that in the case of highlycolonred oils, they are first subjected to a treatment with potassiumferrocyanide and filtered.A further difference between resin andmineral oils is their behaviour with iodine. The author adopted themethod recently described by Hub1 (ibid., 253, 284), and found thatmineral oils fail to absorb more than 140 mgrms. iodine per gramof oil, whilst the iodine number for resin oils ranged between 430 and480 mgrms. D. B.Determination of the Nature of the Crude Oil in Turkey-red Oil. By A. M~LLER-JACOBS (Ding].polyt. J., 253, 473).-Onrendering a very dilute solution of Turkey-red oil alkaline withaqueous ammonia, the mixture shoiild remain perfectly clear on stand-ing. The formation of a precipitate indicates the presence of solidfats or their corresponding natural glycerol ethers (palmitin andstea,rin), and shows that for the manufacture of the Turkey-red oileither impure castor oil or other crude oils, such as rape oil, sesam6oil, train oil, cotton-seed oil, olive oil, or mixtures of both were used.The separation takes place only in very weak solutions, in which thesolvent action of sodium sulpholeate fails t o prevent the precipitationof the solid fats.To recognise the purity of Turkey-red oil, Beusemann recommeiidsthe determination of the melting point of the fatty acids separatedtherefrom.On decomposing Turkey-red oil by boiling it with diluteacids, and determining the melting point of the resulting mass, whichconsists of unaltered oil and liquid and solid acids, it is possible also tojudge of the nature of the crude oil employed in the manufacture.Finally, the behaviour of the separated mass with alcohol affordsvaluable indications of the purity of Turkey-red oil ; that from thepure oil, obtained from castor oil, forming a clear solution, whilst themass separated from other crude oils gives a turbid solution wit96 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.alcohol, and this, on standing, deposits oily particles consisting of un-a1 t ered t riglyc erides. D. B.Bromine as a Test for Quinine, Narcotine, and Morphine.By A.EILOART (Chew. News, 5O7102-l03).-The following note refersto the delicacy of various modes of employing bromine for the detectionof certain alkalo’ids. QzzLinjne.-mlm part can be detected in solu-tion by the red colour produced by the successive addition of brominewater, mercuric cyanide, and precipitated chalk; & by usingbromine water, potassium ferrocyanide, and borax, Vogel’s test ;by employing petroleum instead of mercuric cyanide, or withBloxam’s test (Abstr., 1883, 1175), when chalk is added before thebromine, or Iny the green fluorescence produced wheri a neutral solu-tion of quinine is mixed with excess of bromine, boiled to expel theexcess, and then cooled ; dm when bromine (without debrominat-ing agent) and chalk are used ; in such cases, neutralising agents, weakammonia, zinc oxide, &c., produce a crimson colour ; drn can alsobe detected with Bloxnm’s test, as described (Zoc.cit.). Narcotirm-ing a slight excess of bromine, is neutralised with calcium carbonate ;with more than mlm of narcotine, the red is followed by violet andblue. This is the case even after the solution bas been brominatedfor some time, whereas quinine gives no colour with chalk afterfitanding. Tartaric or acetic acid impedes the production of the colour.Morphine.--&$.5 part produces a red colour, when a solution contain-ing it is boiled with excess of bromine water, neutralised with chalk, andagain boiled ; smaller quantities give rise to an orange or brown colora-tion, which is bleached by bromine water ; & can be detected bythe bleaching effect of bromine water on the subdivided neutralisedsolution.Strychnine, cinchonine, and c a f e h e give no characteristicreaction with bromine and chalk.A-_ 6$oo part gives a red colour if its hydrochloric acid solution, contain-D. A. L.Estimation of the Wool, Silk, and Cotton in Tissues. By A.REMONT (Chem. News, 50, 123--124).--Four portions of the materialto be examined are taken, each weighing 2 grams. One is reserved,the other three are boiled for a quarter of an hour in 3 per cent.hydrochloric acid, and if the liquid is very much coloured the boilingis continued for half an hour longer with fresh acid ; this operationremoves the dressing; one of these three samples is reserved. Toremove the silk from the other two, they are dipped for one or twominutes into a boiling solution of basic zinc chloride (60” B.), which isprepared by heating a mixture of 1000 parts of fused zinc chloride,850 parts of water, and 40 parts zinc oxide, until the lather is dis-solved. The two samples are then washed, first in acidulated and thenin pure water ; one is reserved, the other is gently boiled €or a quarterof an hour in 60 to 80 C.C. of soda solution (sp. gr. 1.020) to removewool ; the residue is washed as in the last case.The four samples are now heated in distilled water for a quarter ofan hour, left to dry spontaneously, and are then weighed. The firstshould weigh 2 grams, if it does not, any considerable loss must betaken into account, the difference between the weights of samples TECHNICAL CHEMISTRY. 97and 2 is the weight of the dressing, between 2 and 3 that of the silk,between 3 and 4 the wool: the residue being the vegetable fibre ; thelast two are only approximate, as the vegetable fibre is somewhatattacked by the soda solution.Boiling with dilute acid removes dyes readily from cotton, lessreadily from wool, and only imperfectly from silk. Dark-colouredsilks are most heavily weighted, and sometimes the weighting is soheavy that the colour is not sufliciently removed ; it is then necessaryto determine the amount of iron present in the ash of a few threads ofthe treated sample, and if it exceeds 5 per cent., it must be taken intoaccount . D. A. L