Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON. Chemical Society, February 17.—Dr. W. A. Tilden, F.R.S., president, in the chair.—The following papers were read:—Observations on some intramolecular and originally reversible changes extending over prolonged periods of time: R. J. Friswell. It was suggested (1) that the labile condition is not confined to hydrogen, and (2) that the constitution of a compound may vary according to the particular “stress” to which it is subjected. Experiments illustrating these points were described, such as the slow decomposition of aniline hydrochloride by aminoazobenzene even in presence of excess of aniline.—Note on magnesium oxybromide: G. W. F. Holroyd. This substance was obtained by saturating an ethereal solution of magnesium phenyl bromide with acetylene, when it separated in the form of colourless crystals consisting of one molecule of the oxybromide with two molecules of “ether of crystallisation.”—The arrangement in space of the groups combined with tervalent nitrogen atoms: F. S. Kipping and A. H. Salway. The authors have attempted to detect asymmetry in a number of tervalent nitrogen compounds by treating these with d-l-benzylmethylacetylchloride. The products of these reactions remained homogeneous after fractional crystallisation, whence they conclude that the three radicles and the tervalent nitrogen atom itself in such compounds are situated in one plane, and that each pair of the radicles is symmetrically situated with regard to the third.—The esterification of r-mandelic acid by menthol and borneol: A. McKenzie. The esters obtained were described.— Certain organic phosphorus compounds: A. E. Dixon. Phosphorus trithiocyanate, a colourless oil readily hydrolysed by water into phosphorous and thiocyanic acids, and phosphoryl trithiocyanate, a pale yellow, highly refractive oil, were obtained respectively by the action of phosphorus trichloride and phosphorus oxychloride upon ammonium thiocyanate. These substances behave both as thiocyanates and thiocarbimides, and this tautomerism is being further investigated.—Note on the relation between the chemical composition of some organic substances and the densities of their solutions: C. E. Fawsitt. Determinations of the densities of solutions of homologous carbamides, amines and acids have shown that this property is of an additive character, though slightly modified by constitutional influences.—The so-called hydrocellulose: A. L. Storn. It was shown that the pulverulent substance formed by the action of dilute acids upon cellulose contains soluble hydrolytic products, and that the bulk of the material has the same composition as cellulose.—(1) Isomeric change of diacylanilides into acylaminoketones; (2) intramolecular rearrangement in derivatives of the aromatic aminoketones: F. D. Chattaway.