Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON. Chemical Society, November 15.—Prof. T. Meldola, F.R.S.. president, in the chair.—The determination of the rate of chemical change by measurement of gases evolved. Preliminary notice: F. E. E. Lamplough. When a chemical reaction takes place in solution resulting in the formation of a gaseous substance, the solvent becomes supersaturated with the gas. The, excess of gas so dissolved may be almost entirely expelled by brisk agitation. Under conditions of efficient stirring the rate of evolution of a gas furnishes an accurate and trustworthy method of investigating reactions.—The formation and reactions of iminocompounds, part ii., condensation of benzyl cyanide leading to the formation of 1:3-diaminonaphthalene and its derivatives: E. P. J. Atkinson and J. F. Thorpe.—Note on the anhydride of phenylsuccinic acid: F. B. Dehn and J. F. Thorpe. The authors conclude that the anhydride of phenylsuccinic acid exists only in one form, which melts at 53°–54°.—Influence of sodium arsenate on the fermentation of glucose by yeast-juice. Preliminary notice: Harden and W. J. Young. It has been previously shown that the addition of a soluble phosphate to yeast-juice containing glucose increases the rate of fermentation; which proceeds until an ektra amount of carbon dioxide (equivalent, molecule for molecule, to the phosphate added) has been evolved. The phosphate at the same time under- goes a change which renders it non-precipitable by magnesia mixture. When an equivalent amount of arsenate is substituted for the phosphate, a similar acceleration is produced, hut the rate, is greatly increased, and continues for a time without change until many times the equivalent of carbon dioxide has been evolved, and then falls gradually.—Xanthoxalanil and its analogues: S. Ruhemann.—Derivatives of cyanodihydrocarvone and cyanocarvomenthone: A. Lapworth.—Reactions involving. the addition of hydrogen cyanide to carbon compounds, part vi., the action of potassium cyanide on pulegone: R. W. L. Clarke and A. LapWorth.—The influence of various substituents on the optical activity of tartramide, part ii., P. F. Frankland and D F. Twiss. The authors have prepared and described the n- and iso-propylamides, the allylamide, the n- and iso-butylamides, and the n-hetylamide of tartaric acid.—The influence of various substituents on the optical activity of malamide: P. F. Frankland and E. Done. The authors described the preparation and properties of the methylamide, ethylamide, and isoropylamide, allylamide, and isobutylamide, n-heptylamide, piperidide, and phenylhydrazide of ordinary l-malic acid.