196 M. Natanson on Acetylamine. 



this yields a brown oil, which is a base, and forms compounds 



with acids. It is probably sethylacetylamine, C* H^ >N. 



H J 

 By the action of chloride of elayle on aniline in closed tubes 

 at 200° C, and subsequent solution of the contents of the tubes 

 in water, a mixture is obtained of the hydrochlorates of aniline 

 and of acetylaniline, which are separable by ammonia, aniline 

 being precipitated. Acetylaniline, when purified, is a light brown, 

 tasteless, and inodorous powder, which is soluble in alcohol and 

 rethcr, but insoluble in water. It does not crystallize, and it 

 forms with acids salts which are also uncrystallizable. It gives 

 wit;h bichloride of platinum a double salt. Acetylaniline is cott- 

 er Hn 



stituted according to the formula C^^H^ >N, and its formation 



Hj - 

 may be thus expressed : — 



C4H4C12 + 2Ci2H7N=Ci2H7NHCl + Ci«H9N, HCl. 



Chloride of Aniline. Hydrochlorate Hydrochlorate of 



elayle. of aniline. acetylaniline. 



Compounds corresponding to the amides are also formed by ace- 

 tylamine. If butyric sether be mixed with an alcoholic solution 

 of acetylamine, the whole solidifies to a mass of fine crystalline 

 needles. These are the acetylamide of butyric acid : — 



(C«H7 02+^^^^\n). 



The comparison of the properties of acetylamine and of oxide 

 of acetylammonium is an instructive contribution to the ammo- 

 nium theory. Here the separation into the corresponding am- 

 monia and water takes place at 150° C, while ordinary oxide of 

 ammonium probably sufi'ers this change below 0°. Acetylamine 

 has all the characteristic properties of the ammonias, and, like 

 them, has no action on perfectly dry litmus paper. On the ad- 

 dition of water and acids, it forms salts corresponding to the 

 ammonia salts, losing its characteristic properties; but by the 

 addition of strong bases is set free as the strongly alkaline oxide 

 of acetylammonium. Natanson considers these relations as sup- 

 porting an opinion already expressed by him, that the ammonias 

 are the neutral products of decomposition of the oxides of am- 

 monium, the real bases. 



The same chemist describes a modification of Gay-Lussac's 

 method of determining the specific gravity of vapours, in which 

 vei-y small quantities only of substance are required. 



