Processes in 'which Aniline is formed. 585 



instead of lime caustic barytes was taken, or the vapour of the 

 salicylamide was conducted through a heated tube filled with 

 pounded glass only. In nearly all these cases nothing but 

 hydrate of phenyle was obtained; ammonia being formed at 

 the expense of a portion of the decomposed substance, whilst 

 the supeifluous hydrogen passed off', most likely, in the state 

 of a hydrocarburet. 



Had it not been for the extreme delicacy of the hypochlo- 

 rite of lime test, it would have been utterly impossible to detect 

 aniline among the products of the distillation of salicylamide. 

 Quite another result took place when we submitted protoni- 

 trobenzoene to the same treatment. This substance, which we 

 had prepared in large quantities for the purpose of another 

 investigation, soon to be communicated to your Society, was 

 conducted over glowing lime. A dark yellow oil distilled over, 

 which was almo t completely soluble in hydrochloric acid. 

 The undissolved portion was some protonitrobenzoene which 

 had escaped decomposition. In order to remove it we agitated 

 the acid solution with aether, in which medium the uncom- 

 bined oil dissolved, and after taking off' the aethereal solution 

 with a pipette, we boiled the remainder to expel the last traces 

 of nitrobenzoene. 



We next distilled the purified liquid with hydrate of potash, 

 and obtained a colourless mobile oil which collected in a 

 homogeneous layer upon the surface of the water. This fluid 

 was soon recognised as -pure aiiiline. It would have been 

 very easy for us to have produced a sufficient quantity of the 

 base for a combustion, but we concluded that an analysis would 

 be quite superfluous, as the properties of this body are so 

 characteristically marked. 



The oil obtained in the above manner was readily soluble 

 in mineral and organic acids, and on the addition of an alkali 

 reappeared ; perchloride of platinum produced, in the hydro- 

 chloric acid solution of the base, a beautiful yellow crystalline 

 deposit; the oil, when brought in contact with concentrated 

 hydrochloric, sulphuric, or nitric acids, inspissated, forming 

 a dense crystalline mass, which, when redissolved, coloured 

 fir-wood and elder-pith intensely yellow ; with hypochlorite 

 of lijne the characteristic violet colouring appeared, which was 

 ako the case with fuming nitric acid; and lastly, with a solu- 

 tion of chromic acid it afforded the bluish-green deposit, which 

 Fritzsche gives as a sure indication of aniline. 



All these reactions showed infallibly that the nitrobenzoene^ 

 when sid)jected to the tmited iiifluence of lime and a high tempe- 

 ralnre^ affords the same decomposition as anthranilic acid under 

 the same circumstances. 



