238 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles, 



tameter ; such as acetate of potash, which was rapidly converted into 

 the formiate, &c. — Comptes Rendus, March 6, 1854, p. 444, 



ON SOME COMBINATIONS OF HYDRARGYROMETHYLE AND HY- 

 DRARGYRiSTHYLE. BY A. STRECKER. 



Frankland found a short time since, that when iodide of methyle 

 and iodide of amyle in contact with mercury are exposed to the 

 influence of the solar rays, crystals are formed of which the composi- 

 tion is expressed by the formulae C*H3 Hg^I and C'oH" Hg^I, and 

 to which he gave the names of iodide of hydrargyroroethyle and 

 iodide of hydrargyramyle. He did not succeed in producing an ana- 

 logous compound with iodide of aethyle, although the existence of 

 this combination might be presumed. 



Before I was acquainted with Frankland's experiments, I had 

 already obtained the iodide of hydrargyraethyle, which may easily 

 be produced from a mixture of iodide of aethyle and mercury under 

 the influence of diffused light. After some time crystals are formed, 

 of which the quantity increases until the whole of the liquid sets 

 into a mass. The crystals dissolve in boiling aether and alcohol, 

 from which they separate in thin, colourless, shining laminae. They 

 sublime at 212° F., but only fuse at a higher temperature. They do 

 not dissolve in water, but are soluble in ammonia and in solution of 

 potash, from which they crystallize again without decomposition. 

 On analysis I found their composition to be C^ H'' Hg^I. With nitrate 

 of silver they furnish iodide of silver and nitrate of hydrargyraethyle, 

 C* H^ Hg^O . NO^, which crystallizes on evaporation in colourless 

 prisms. Chloride of sodium precipitates chloride of hydrargyraethyle, 

 C^ H^ Hg^ CI, from the watery solution of the nitrate ; it cannot be 

 distinguished from the iodide by its characters. These aethyle com- 

 pounds are decomposed by sun-light, and this is the reason why 

 Mr. Frankland did not obtain them. I have also prepared the nitrate 

 of hydrargyromethyle ; its composition is C^ H^ Hg^ O . NO^ + H0. 

 — Comptes Rendus, July 3, 1854, p. 57. 



ON THE ARTIFICIAL PRODUCTION OF CINNAMON OIL. 

 BY A. STRECKER. 



I pointed out some years since, that styrone, which is obtained by 

 treating styracine with a concentrated or alcoholic solution of potash, 

 is the alcohol of cinnamic acid, as it exhibits the same relation with 

 regard to this acid as alcohol to acetic acid. By experiments made 

 at my suggestion, M. Wolff has proved that styrone, under the influ- 

 ence of energetic oxidizing agents, becomes converted into cinnamic 

 acid. 



I have found that styrone, in the same conditions in which alcohol 

 is converted into aldehyde, furnishes the aldehyde of cinnamic acid, 

 or cinnamon oil. 



For this purpose it is suflicient to moisten platinum black with 



