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(a) EPHRAIM,"Zur Kenntnis des Natriumamids," Z. anorg. Chem., 44, 189 (Mar., 1905); (6) see ref. (I). (11) M n ~ s "The , Readion between Sodamide and Hydrogen," Proc. Roy. Soc. Edinburgh. 35, 134 (April. 1915); GUNTZand BENOIT, "Sur l'amidure de sodium industriel," Bull. soc. chin. 141 41, 434 (1927). (12) See ref. (I), p. 14.
(10)
(June, 1922). RUFFand GEISEL,"Das Sulfammonium und seine Beziehungen zum Schwefelstickstoff," Ber., 38, 2659 (1905). FUNKLINand KRAUS,"Liquid Ammonia as a Solvent," Am. Chenz. J.,20, 830 (Dec.. 1898). BERGSTROM, "SoIutions of the Electronegative Elements in Liquid Ammonia. I. The Action of Selenium, Tellurium, Arsenic and a Solution of Sulfur in Liquid Ammonia upon Cyanides," J Am. C h m . Soc., 48,2319 (Sept., 1926). (a) Seeref. (1),p. 15; @)seeref. (13). SVARVASY, "Electrolysis of the Nitrogen Hydrides and of Hydroxylamine," J. Chem. Soc., 77, 60fi (1900); DENNISand BROWNE."Hydronitric Acid and the Inorganic Trinitrides," J. Am. Chem. Soc., 26, 588 (June, 1904). MARTIN,"Industrial Chemistry," Part 11, Vol. I, D.Appleton and Co., New York City, 1915, p. 486. "Verfahren zur Darstellung von Alkalicyanamid," D. R. P . 124,977, October 22. 1901 (see Chem. Centr., 1901, 11, 1100). See ref. (18) (a). See ref. (I), p. 18.
Ginger Paralysis Cause Discovered in Phenol Compound. A substance related to carbolic acid is probably the adulterant which has caused thousands of cases of paralys:~ from drinking Jamaica ginger. A phenol compound, probably the phosphoric acid ester of tricrcsol, is the substance which Dr. M. I. Smith of the U. S. Hygienic Laboratory, working with the Prohibition Bureau, found in samples of the ginger from shipments that had caused cases of the paralysis. Samples from shipments thought but not definitely known to have caused paralysis also contained this substance. Samples from lots that did not cause paralysis did not contain any of the phenol compound. Samples from the first two classes of shipments were fed to rabbits, monkeys, an1 dogs. The monkey and dogs were not affected, but the rabbits hecame paralyzed in the limbs and died of respiratory failure. An adulterated fluidextract of ginger was made in the laboratory to resemble the ginger that had caused the paralysis outbreaks in human beings. This extract contained tricresyl phosphate, the suspected compound. It had the same effect on the animals as the samples of the ginger which were known or thought to have caused the human disease. The government scientists were a t a loss t o explain why the monkeys and dogs were not affected by the ginger samples, but they found that paralytic symptoms could be produced when the suspected phenol compound was broken down chemically before being given to the dogs and monkeys. This suggested that the compound passed through the stomachs of these animals unchanged, while in the stomachs of rabbits and of man it was broken down into a poisonous substance.-Science Service
