Some of our most popular scientific men have to be content with the part of the big wheels, for, to quote Dryden, "They like the hindmost chariot wheels are cursed,, It is nevertheless somewhat unjust to Mr. Crookes to regard his researches in a captious and unfriendly spirit, merely because he happens to be an original and successful investigator.-Engineering, April 7. NOTES AND QUERIES. Our Notes and Queries column was opened for the purpose of giving and obtaining information likely to be of use to our readers generally. We cannot undertake to let this column be the means of transmitting merely private information, or such trade notices as should legitimately come in the advertising columns. Methyl-Aniline Violets.-Can any of your readers kindly inform me where, in this country, methyl-aniline violets, discovered by M. Lauth, and a violet discovered by M. Hauffmann, of Berlin, and referred to by M. Cornil in Arch. de Physiologie, is to be procured, or an account of the method of preparing it found?-DELTA, MEETINGS FOR THE WEEK. MONDAY, 24th.-Medical, 8. Society of Arts, 8. Cantor Lectures. "Wool Dyeing," by George Jarmain. TUESDAY, 25th.-Civil Engineers, 8. Royal Institution, 3. "Comparative Geology and former Physical Geographies of India, Australia, and South Africa," by Prof. P. M. Duncan, F.R.S. Anthropological, 8. WEDNESDAY, 26th.-Society of Arts, 8. "The So-called Deposits of Onyx near Mexico, and their Value as a Decorative Material in this Country," by W. Eassie, C.E., F.L.S., F.G.S. "Sericiculture in Australia," by Mrs. Bladen Neill. London Institution, 12. (Anniversary.) Geological, 8. = THURSDAY, 27th.-Royal, 8.30. Royal Institution, 3. "On Voltaic Electricity," by Prof. Tyndall, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S. Royal Society Club, 6.30. FRIDAY, 28th.-Royal Institution, 9. Physiology of the Nervous SATURDAY, 29th.-Royal Institution, 3. "On the Present Relations of Science and Philosophy," by Prof. W. K. Clifford, F.R.S. ERRATA.-In Table III., page 154, col. 2, line 16 from top, for "c c. of cyanide consumed" read "c.c. of cyanide consumed when no NH4Cl was present:-348-34'9; mean 3485." In Table IV., page 154, col. 2, line 33 from top, for "c.c. of cyanide consumed" read" c.c. of cyanide consumed when no NH.NO, was present:-348-34'9; mean 3485." Page 160, col. 1, line 11 from top, for " Mr. W. Jowage" read "Mr. W. Gossage." THE CHEMICAL NEWS, April 21, 1876. ROYAL INSTITUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN, LECTURE ARRANGEMENTS AFTER EASTER, 1876. HOUR, THREE O'CLOCK. PROFESSOR P. M. DUNCAN, F.R.S.-Four Lectures on the Com parative Geology and Former Physical Geographies of India, Australia, and South Africa; on Tuesdays, April 25 to May 16. PROFESSOR TYNDALL, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S.-Seven Lectures, on Voltaic Electricity; on Thursdays, April 27 to June 8. PROFESSOR W. K. CLIFFORD, F.R.S.-Two Lectures on the Present Relations of Science and Philosophy; on Saturdays, Aprill 29 and May 6. PROFESSOR W. G. ADAMS, F.R.S.-Three Lectures on some of Wheatstone's Discoveries and Inventions; on Tuesdays, May 23 to June 6. FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL, Esq.-Two Lectures on Chaucer; on Saturdays, May 13 and 20. Three Lectures on Saturdays, May 27 to June 10. Subscription to all the Courses, Two Guineas; to a Single Course, One Guinea or Half-a-Guinea. The Friday Evening Meetings will be resumed on April 28th, at 8 p.m. Mr. G. J. Romanes will give a Discourse on the Physiology of the Nervous System of Medusa, 9 p.m. The following Discourses will probably be given by Professor Gladstone, W. Froude, Esq., C. T. Newton, Esq., J. F. Moulton, Esq., Sir J. M. Lubbock, and Professor Tyndall. To these Meetings Members and their Friends only are admitted. UPSET PRICE REDUCED TO £15,000 TO ENSURE COMPETITION. FOR SALE. CHEMICAL WORKS AT WHITECROOK, DALMUIR, NEAR GLASGOW. To be Sold (under the Direction of the High Court of Justice) by Public Roup, within the Faculty Hall, Saint George's Place, Glasgow, on Wednesday, April 26, 1876, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The Whitecrook Chemical Works of the British Seaweed Company (Limited), situated upon the Forth and Clyde Canal, with the ground connected therewith, and whole Engines, Machinery, Boilers, Retorts, Pans, Vitriol Chambers, Chimneys, and whole other Movable Plant, and Buildings on the ground, including Apparatus of the most approved construction for the manufacture on a large scale of Sulphuric Acid, Carbonate, Chlorate, Muriate, and Sulphate of Potash, Caustic Soda, Refined Brimstone, Iodine, Bromine, Iodide and Bromide of Potassium, &c. The Works have unusual facilities for water carriage, and are near to the Dalmuir Station of the North British Railway Company, by which there is direct communication to all parts of the United Kingdom. The ground connected with the Works extends to 8 acres and 10 and 7-10th poles (more or less) subject to a feu duty of £149 13s. Entry immediately. For further particulars apply to H. J. C. F. Woodhouse, Public Accountant, 14, Warwick Court, Holborn, London; to J. N. Cuthbertson, Chemical Broker, 29, Bath Street, Glasgow, Official Liquidators of the British Seaweed Company (Limited); to Bannatynes, Kirkwood, and McJannel, Writers, 145, West George Street, Glasgow; to William A. Crump and Son, Solicitors, 10, Philpot Lane, London, E.C.; to Chauntrell, Pollock, and Mason, Solicitors, 63, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London, W.C.; or to Balfour and Paterson, Writers, 138, Hope Street, Glasgow, the latter of whom will exhibit the Titles and Articles of Roup. A Young Man (20 years of age), at present QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. his services, he would have facilities for further prosecuting his with a Pharmaceutical Chemist, is anxious to obtain a Subordinate Post in a Laboratory, where, in addition to a small salary for studies. Passed first class advanced Science and Art Department last May. Disengaged at the end of next month.-Address, W. H., 5, George Street, Grantham. THE CHEMICAL VOL. XXXII. No. 857. in the reverse direction for the re-establishment of elec NEWS.trical equilibrium in the cores of the magnet, consequent on the discharge of the wire itself, the wire and the cores of the magnets bearing the same relations to each other as the inner and the outer coatings of a Leyden jar. Here, then, we have all that is necessary for the production of the so-called etheric effects, apparent non-polarity included. ELECTRICAL PHENOMENA. THE ALLEGED ETHERIC FORCE. TEST EXPERIMENTS SINCE the experiments of Mr. Edison are still believed by some to demonstrate the existence of a force hitherto unknown, we submit the following considerations, together with experiments, which we believe to be crucial in establishing the identity of the supposed new force with inverse currents of induced electricity. The alleged necessity for the assumption of the new force being based on its asserted lack of polarity, we propose to show how two opposite phases of the so-called new force may neutralise each other, thus conclusively establishing its polarity. In order to prevent the possibility of a charge of any tension remaining in the coils of wire on the interruption of the current, we arranged the following experiment :A battery of eight cells was divided into two sets of four cells each, as shown in Fig. 2. The sounder magnet M, used in this experiment, was connected as shown, i.e., one In order to show that, in Mr. Edison's experiments, end of the coils with the positive pole of the left hand inverse electrical currents must necessarily exist, notwith-battery, and the other end to the negative pole of the standing the fact that the manifestations occur only at right hand one. An interrupter placed midway between the opening or breaking of the circuit, we will discuss his the remaining poles of each battery furnished the necestypical experiment in detail. In Fig. 1, we have the sary breaks, as at K. Under these conditions we could obtain no appreciable spark in the dark box at P. In this experiment the magnet is placed so as to occupy the exact middle of the circuit, one-half the wire in the coils being influenced by that part of the extra current which produces a positive charge, and the other half by that which produces a negative one. When thus arranged the inductive effects of the extra current being equal and opposite, neutralise each other, and hence no inductive spark appears in the dark box P. In this experiment, thorough insulation of the batteries, key, and connecting wires, is necessary, in order to secure an equal division of the effective circuit. FIG. M K well-known arrangement for the production of the alleged new force. On the completion of the circuit, the battery current flows as shown by the arrows, and м becomes a magnet. On breaking the connection as at K, the socalled etheric force is manifested at the points P, in the dark box. It is evident that the above embraces all the essentials of Mr. Edison's experiments. When a battery current flowing through a considerable length of wire, is interrupted by breaking contact as at K, a bright spark of appreciable length is seen at the break (K). This spark is due to the extra current, and indicates a great increase of electrical tension in the wire, the discharge occurring through an appreciable air-space at K. It will be seen that the wire around the magnet is at the moment of breaking contact, charged with electricity of considerable tension (extra current), positive or negative, according to the direction of the battery current. In Fig. 1, since the magnet wire is connected with the positive pole c of the battery, the charge in the wire will be positive, and a negative charge will be accumulated on the general conducting surface of the battery, which thus acts in part to condense the negative charge. This state of tension at once disappears on the discharge of the extra current. The extra current is not produced until the circuit is broken, and its discharge takes place when the wires have been appreciably separated, as shown by the spark. At every break, therefore, the wire surrounding the core of the magnet accumulates a static charge of considerable tension, which is rapidly discharged. This charge, acting by induction on the core of the magnet, induces in it, and in all metallic masses in connection therewith, a flow or charge in one direction, while the tension in the wire is increasing, followed instantaneously by a flow or charge The absolute necessity for the equality of the two divisions of the circuit and of the neighbouring conducting surfaces, in the above experiment, is shown by connecting any part of the circuit with a conducting surface, as, for instance, a mass of metal, or even the body of the experimenter, when sparks at once make their appearance at P. The mere approach of the person, without contact with any conducting surface near to any part of the circuit, or to either of the batteries, is followed by a similar result. In this connection it is evident that any inequality in the metallic surroundings of the halves of the circuit is sufficient to cause irregularity in the results. So necessary is the equal division of the conducting surfaces, that even the use of an ordinary telegraphic key at K is sufficient to introduce unequal metallic surfaces into the circuit, and so derange the experiment, and we would therefore suggest that the breaks be made by the conducting wires themselves. If the battery be unequally divided, sparks are seen in abundance in the dark box. To test the question of the polarity of the alleged new force, the following experiment was devised :-The battery terminals were connected respectively with one end of the coils of the magnets м and M' which were exact counterparts of each other. The circuit was completed through the interrupter K, connected with the two remaining ends of the coils. Wires a and a' were provided for connecting the cores of the magnets with the dark box P, at pleasure. When the wire a was connected with P, sparks were seen in the dark box, in breaking the contact at K; similar sparks were seen where the wire from a' was alone connected. When both a and a' were connected with the dark box no spark could be obtained. In the foregoing experiment it is evident that the 174 CHEMICAL NEWS, THE FORMULE OF ALCOHOLS. By WILLIAM ODLING, M.A., F.R.S. Formula of Alcohols. polarity of the extra current produced in м is the opposite | NOTE ON of that in M', representing, as they do, the positive and negative poles continued from the battery. Under these circumstances the induced charges in each core being opposite, neutralise each other, and no spark is seen. Since, however, contact of a or a' with M or M' singly gave all the so-called etheric manifestations, and that when FIG.3 аква THE accompanying table presents the formulæ of thirty- both were connected no spark was obtained, it is clear corresponding to that of ethyl-methyl ketone- OCC2H5. That the non-appearance of the spark at P was due to an exact neutralisation of the two opposite phases of the "etheric force," is shown by bringing any conducting surface, as the finger, into contact with any part of the circuit, as at b or b', when sparks at once appeared at P. We found that it was not necessary to employ cores surrounded by coils of wire to produce the so-called etheric force. We note the following experiment :—A hollow cylinder of non-conducting material as a test-tube was covered on the outside with a sheet of metal. A metallic bar was placed inside the tube, and from it a wire was led to the dark box. On connecting the exterior metal surface with almost any portion of a long battery circuit, which was interrupted, sparks were seen in the dark box at every break. These sparks possess all the properties claimed for the "etheric" sparks. In this case no person at all familiar with electrical induction would for a moment question the true origin of the sparks and butane, seen in the dark box. Metallic coatings are not necessary to produce the effects just described. In the following experiment we W FIG. 4 C3H7 T or (more commonly called isopropyl), and in a fifth only the the secondary radicals derivable from the normal paraffins, H2C CH3 CH3 요 (CH3 HC CH3 (CH3 It is to be noticed that the formula for all the several alcohols are constructed on the type of the formulæ of the several paraffins, normal, iso-, neo-, and meso- respectively, from which the alcohols are formed by substitution of hydroxyl, OH, for hydrogen. The homologous iso-primary alcohols are derived from a typical iso-primary alcohol; and this typical iso-primary alcohol is derived from the normal secondary alcohol, as is the iso-paraffin from the normal paraffin : (CH2(OH) as HC CH3 CH 176 Development of the Chemical Arts. Similarly, the homologous neo-primary alcohols are derived from a typical neo-primary alcohol; and this typical neo-primary alcohol is derived from the iso-tertiary alcohol, as is the neo-paraffin from the iso-paraffin : CHEMICAL NEWS, April 28, 1876. The treatment to remove the excess of the salt of soda is the same as that described above; or the mixture may be directly neutralised with lime, the salt of lime decomposed by a salt of soda, sulphate or carbonate, and the sulphate of soda may be separated by crystallisation from the soda salts of the sulpho-conjugated acid. The disulpho-anthraquinonate of soda, heated with double its weight of potash, soda, or a mixture of the two alkalies, is transformed into alizarin.-Bull. Soc. Chim.de Paris. Except for the use in a perfectly definite sense, and in a few instances only, of the index letters 7, 6, and к, as above referred to, the whole of the thirty-three alcohols are expressed by comparatively simple formula, which manifest their constitution fully, in symbols intelligible, without any new convention, to everyone. NEW PROCESS FOR PREPARING SULPHO CONJUGATED ACIDS. By M. CH. GIRARD. THE preparation of sulpho-conjugated acids requires in most cases the use of fuming sulphuric acid, or of a mixture of such with common sulphuric acid concentrated to 66° B. The presence of the fuming or Nordhausen acid is necessary to obtain disulpho conjugated compounds, and those of a higher degree. We may replace with advantage-both as regards cost, facility of working, and amount of yield-the Nordhausen acid with anhydrous bisulphate of soda, either alone or mixed with variable quantities of the ordinary sulphuric acid of commerce. One of the chief advantages of the anhydrous bisulphate of soda lies in its mode of decomposition during the reaction, which has the effect of gradually setting at liberty anhydrous sulphuric acid. The author has prepared, by heating under pressure, and at temperatures varying according to the nature of the substance to be obtained, a mixture of anhydrous bisulphate of soda, concentrated sulphuric acid of commerce, and carbides of the aromatic series, such as benzin, toluen, xylen, and their homologues, naphthalin, anthracen, phenol, cresylol, quinons, and anthraquinons; with alkaloids such as aniline, diphenylamin, and their homologues, the operation may be performed at the ordinary pressure. To obtain the disulpho-conjugated acids of benzin he heats under pressure for four hours to 200° to 250° a mix ture of Crystallisable benzin 10 kilos. 15 25 99 Anhydrous sulphate of soda Commercial sulphuric acid.. The excess of the salt of soda may be removed either by exhausting with 3 or 4 litres of alcohol, or by letting the mass drain exposed to the air; the sulpho-conjugated acids being deliquescent, flow away, whilst the salt of soda remains in the funnels in a crystalline state. The excess of sulphuric acid is easily removed by neutralising with lime, filtering, and evaporating. To prepare the salt of soda he employs either the sulphate of soda collected or the carbonate of soda, filtering to separate the calcareous precipitate. The solution, evaporated to dryness, yields the soda salt, which latter, on heating to 240° with double its weight of potash, yields resorcin. To obtain the sulphoconjugated acids of anthracen or of anthraquinon he heats under pressure between 260° and 270° for five to six hours, at 66° B. SUCH machines have been recently made by Eigel and Lesemeister, of Cologne. The duty of a machine of the kind described must, on the supposition that the sulphuric acid expended is recovered by means of concentration, be estimated at a very high rate. From a calculation which certainly was only approximate it would appear that 17 kilos. of ice are produced per 1 kilo. coal used in concentrating the acid. If, in the continuous action of the apparatus, the concentrated acid running off could completely exchange its heat with the dilute acid to be introduced, the effect would be greater by one-third. This result considerably exceeds that of the ammonia machine. The manufacture of ice on this principle would offer certain advantages if the apparatus were differently arranged, since in its present form it is not suitable for lump ice. Perhaps instead of pure water a saline solution might be evaporated, which would be cooled down far below zero, and into which, as in other machines, vessels containing water might be plunged, and the latter might thus be indirectly frozen. The air-pump would require to be put in action only once in order to exhaust the air of the internal space. To open it would be needless, since the sulphuric acid can be introduced, and removed by means of pumps. III. Production of Cold by Expansion. If a gas is compressed the mechanical power applied is converted into heat and the temperature rises. If equal volumes of different gases at a similar initial pressure are compressed to the same extent, a gas of lower specific heat increases in temperature more than one of higher specific heat, and that in a potentiated manner since its particles, in the first place, assume a higher temperature by an equal increment of heat, and secondly, since the hotter gas possesses a greater tension and opposes more resistance to compression, whence more heat is evolved. Different gases of equal initial temperature and tension, when compressed to an equal volume, not only attain unequal temperatures, but unequal pressure. The followng table shows in what proportion atmospheric air of mean tension increases in temperature if compressed at an initial temperature of 20° C. Pressure in atmospheres.. Temperature I 2 20 85 3 4 130 163 If a hot compressed gas is allowed to re-expand, always under full pressure, the heat is transformed into mechanical power, and a fall of temperature ensues in the same measure as the rise during its compression. If a hot and compressed gas is cooled down and then expanded, it falls cold can be attained. Thus air at 2, 3, 4 atmospheres, below the initial temperature, and very great degrees of cooled down to 30° C., and allowed to expand to I atmo "Berichte über die Entwickelung der Chemischen Industrie Wa.. end des Letzten Jahrenends." |