Drs. Muspratt and Hofniann on Toluidine. 185 



retted hydrogen, to distil the whole liquid, whereby the depo- 

 sition of sulphur is quickened, although some of the gas 

 escapes decomposition. After the separation of the sulphur 

 the residue in the retort must be mixed with the distillate, the 

 whole treated again with hydrosulphuric acid, and distilled. 

 This process must be repeated five or six times successively. 

 The decomposition of nitrotoluide by sulphuret of ammo- 

 nium, as well as the bodies similarly constituted, takes place 

 with great difficulty. Even after a very long exposure to the 

 influence of sulphuretted hydrogen and endless distillations, a 

 small quantity of the nitrotoluide remains intact, which is 

 readily seen by adding water to the treated menstruum, the 

 hydrochloric acid in excess filtering off the sulphur, and agi- 

 tating the filtrate with aether. On evaporating the sethereal 

 extract, undecomposed nitrotoluide will remain. The dark 

 red acid solution remaining, after draining off the aethereal 

 solution of nitrotoluide, on being evaporated to about one-third 

 of its original volume, in order to expel the alcohol, and then 

 submitted to distillation with sticks of potash, gives off in 

 addition to aqueous vapour and ammonia, a colourless or 

 slightly yellowish oil, which sinks in the receiver and solidi- 

 fies after some time into a crystalline mass. This body is a 

 new organic base, for which we propose the name toluidine. 

 Its purification is very simple. The distillate, which was still 

 slightly alcoholic, contained some of the base in solution; we 

 therefore supersaturated the whole with oxalic acid, evapo- 

 rated to dryness in a water-bath, treated the residue with 

 boiling alcohol, and filteried. The oxalate of toluidine perco- 

 lates through, while the oxalate of ammonia, which is insoluble 

 in this menstruum, remains. When the filtrate cools, the 

 oxalate of the new base separates almost entirely in fine white 

 needles. These were edulcorated, then dissolved in boiling 

 water and decomposed by a strong potash ley. The base 

 immediately separated in the form of colourless oil-drops, 

 which after some time rose to the surface as an homogeneous 

 layer, and in cooling solidified into a radiated crystalline mass. 

 This was ejected, thrown upon a filter, washed with distilled 

 water until the liquid percolating possessed no more an alkaline 

 reaction, and then desiccated between folds of bibulous paper. 

 The dry crystalline mass required only to be again rectified 

 in order to obtain it chemically pure. During this last pro- 

 cess it first melts and then there distils over a beautiful fluid 

 dispersing light in an eminent degree, and which, after some 

 seconds, solidifies into a colourless transparent crystalline 

 mass. 



