1856. 



the Chemical Type: Ammonia, 



279 



ence of which theory suggests, as yet been obtained : compounds 

 corresponding to ethylamine and to diethylamine are wanting at 

 present, but the substances which correspond to triethylamine are 

 known. 



The following table exhibits the compounds belonging to this 

 group which are known. 



Nitrogen-Series, 

 Ammonia 



Ethylamine 



Diethylamine . N 



Triethylamine 



. N<H 

 U 



(E 



. N<H 



iH 



jE 



IH 



(E 



N<E 



IE 



Fhotphorus-Series. 



Pbosphoretted p J it 

 Hydrogen *^ |g 



Unknown, 



Unknown. 



Triethylphos- 

 phine. . . . 



(E 



P<E 



lE 



Antimony-Series. 



Antimonettcd 

 Hydrogen 



Unknown. 



)Jh 

 Ih 



Unknown. 



Triethylstibine Sb< E 



(e 



Arsenic-Series. 



As 



Arsenetted 

 Hydrogen 





Unknown. 



Unknown. 



Triethylarsine 



As| 



Now triethylphosphine,* triethylstibine, and triethylarsine are 

 substances exhibiting, although in a less prominent degree, all the 

 fundamental characters of triethylamine, and consequently of am- 

 monia itself. They are well defined and powerful bases, capable of 

 uniting with the acids and of producing a series of remarkable, 

 mostly crystalline salts, in which we find all the properties of the 

 ammoniacal salts. Chemists have thus succeeded in rendering 

 visible to the mental eye, if I may say so, the true nature of pbos- 

 phoretted, antimonettcd, and arsenetted hydrogen. By the conver- 

 sion of these mineral substances into organic compounds, by the 

 simple process of ethylation, their alkaline disposition, not to use 

 the term character, has been unmistakeably brought to light. The 

 formation of alkaline bodies similar to ammonia by the substitution 

 of ethyl for the hydrogen in pbosphoretted, antimonettcd, and arse- 

 netted hydrogen, leaves no doubt regarding the analogy of these 

 substances with ammonia, and thus we see that researches carried 

 out exclusively in the field of Organic Chemistry have lent most 

 valuable assistance in deciding a question of considerable importance 

 regarding the classification of mineral substances. These re- 

 searches have furnished the last argument which was wanting to 

 prove that nitrogen, phosphorus, antimony, and arsenic form a 

 natural group of elements, the chemical history of which presents 



♦ Specimens of triethylphosphine exhibited, and its alkaline characters 

 demonstrated. A small quantity of triethylphosphine was poured into a test- 

 tube filled with oxygen, and placed in hot water, when the phosphorus-compound 

 exploded with ^reat violence. Another portion introduced into chlorine gas, 

 gave rise to a brilliant flash of light, the carbon of the substance being set free. 

 To show the combining power of triethylphosphine, the substance was mixed 

 with iodide of methyl, when a white crystalline compound was immediately 

 formed, with evolution of much heat. 



