Societies and Academies

Abstract

LONDON.Chemical Society, June 16.—Prof. A. Crum Brown,. F.R.S., President, in the chair.—The following papers were read:—Contributions to an international system of nomenclature. The nomenclature of cycloids, by H. E. Armstrong. An account was given of the proceedings at the recent Conference on Chemical Nomenclature at Geneva, and attention was directed to the significance of the chief resolutions. A report of the conclusions arrived at by the Conference has already appeared in NATURE (this vol., p. 56).—The production ofr pyridine derivatives from the lactone of triacetic acid, by N. Collie and W. S. Myers. The product of the interaction of ammonia and triacetic lactone is most probably an αγ-dihydroxy-α-picoline. By the action of phosphorus oxychloride on this substance a compound possessing all the properties of a dichloropicolineis obtained, and on passing this, together with hydrogen, over heated zinc-dust, α-picoline boiling at 128-129° is produced. The melting points of the platini- and auri-chlorides, obtained from the synthetical alkaloid, agree with those given by the corresponding compounds prepared from, pure α-picoline which was made by heating pyridine methio-dide.—The fermentation of arabinose by Bacillus ethaceticus, by P. F. Frankland and J. MacGregor. The products are qualitatively the same as were obtained in the fermentations of glycerol by the same organism, consisting of ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and traces of succinic acid, together with another acid which was not identified. When the fermentation is conducted in a closed space a notable-proportion of formic acid also occurs among the products. In this case the products are formed approximately in the proportions—3C2H6O, 3C2H4O2, 4CH2O2, the formic acid as well as the carbon dioxide and hydrogen found being all collected together as formic acid in this statement. In the fermentations conducted in flasks plugged only with cotton wool, on the other hand, the alcohol and acetic acid were formed in the proportion 2C2H6O, 3C2H4O2. It appears, therefore, that in the fermentation of arabinose by Bacillus ethacelicus, the proportion of acetic acid to alcohol is greater than in that of dextrose, and still greater than in the cases of mannitol and glycerol, but less than in that of glyceric acid.—Resolution of lactic acid into its optically active components, by T. Purdie and J. W. Walker. The authors have resolves ordinary inactive lactic acid into Iævo and dextro-lactic acid by taking advantage of the different solubilities of the strychnine salts of these components. Strychnine lævolactate is considerably less soluble in water than the dextrolactate, although both salts may be crystallised. By fractional crystallization of the mixed salts and subsequent removal of the strychnine from the crystals and mother liquor, by means of ammonia or barium hydrate, solutions were obtained which were respectively dextro- and lævo-gyrate. The dextrolactate yielded a zinc dextrolactate having the same composition and solubility as zinc sarcolactate. A well-defined dextro zinc ammonium salt of the composition Zn.NH4 (C3H5O3)3, 2H2O having the specific rotatory power [α]D= + 6˙49 (approx.) was prepared. The dextrogyrate salts yield a lsevogyrate acid, which, like sarcolactic acid, gives an oppositely active anhydride. The quantities of oppositely active acids separated from each other by means of the strychnine salts possessed equal amounts of optical activity. Fermentation lactic acid is thus shown by analysis to consist of two oppositely active isomeric acids, one of which is identical with dextrogyrate sarcolactic acid, and the other with the laevogyrate acid prepared by Schardinger by the bacterial decomposition of cane sugar.-A new method for determining the number of NH2 groups in certain organic bases, by R. Meldola and E. M. Hawkins, In order to-ascertain the number of NH2 groups present in certain organic bases the authors propose to form the azoimides; on analysis of these substances, the number of amidogen groups which have-been diazotized, can be determined. For example, paradiami-doazobenzene(NH". C6H4)2N2 was diazotized and converted into tetrazoperbromide in the usual way. This latter substance, by the action of ammonia, yields lustrous silvery scales of the azoimide.