122 Dr. A. W. Hofman on the Organic Bases 



formed from separate portions of cyanol. I dried it at 212° 

 Fahr., at which temperature it lost some of its hygroscopic 

 moisture. 



I. 0*5573 grm. chloride of platinum and cyanol gave 0*1833 

 grm. platinum = 32890 per cent. 



II. 0*8083 grm. chloride of platinum and cyanol gave 0*2658 

 grm. platinum = 32883 per cent. 



From the above is obtained the following atomic weight of 

 cyanol : — 

 • I. II. 



1176*45 1177*248 



agreeing closely with 1174*648, which is the calculated one. 



Some time since Fritzsche*, in investigating the effect of 

 alkalies upon indigo-blue, discovered an acid, the anthranilic, 

 which, when distilled, is decomposed into carbonic acid and a 

 base, which he described under the name of Aniline. Erd- 

 mannf showed this body to be identical with crystalline^ which 

 was several years ago detected by UnverdorbenJ in the. dry 

 distillation of indigo. Zinin § obtained a short time ago in a 

 most remarkable manner by the action of sulphuret of ammo- 

 nium upon the combinations of peroxide of nitrogen with some 

 hydrocarbons, organic bases, one of which, benzidam, was re- 

 cognized by Fritzsche || as identical with aniline. 



The results obtained by these chemists from the analysis 

 of aniline and benzidam, are similar to those found by myself 

 in examining cyanol, and both exhibit the same formula, 

 C 12 H 7 N. 



The following arithmetical mean of our results, and the for- 

 mula reduced to per centages, will show their identity. 



Aniline. Benzidam. Cyanol. Formula Cj.-, H ? N. 



Carbon . 77*782 77*826 77*307 77'49l" 



Hydrogen 7*54 7*615 7*720 7'437 



Nitrogen . 14-83 14-84 J_l' 97 ^ 15*0 72 



100-152 100-281 100-000 100-000 



Fritzsche ascertained the atomic weight of aniline by analy- 

 sing the oxalate and hydrochlorate of this body, whereas Zinin 

 on the other hand employed for this purpose the double salt 

 of platinum. 



Chlor. of plat. & benz. Chlor. of plat. & cyanol. 

 Mean amount of Platinum per cent 32*501 32*886 



Deduced atomic weight . . . 1221-33 1176-849 



. , 1 



Theoret. atomic weight 1174*648 



The striking similarity of these numbers renders the iden- 



* Bullet. Sclent, de St. Petcrsb. t. vii. No. 12. and t. viii. 



f Erdmann's Jottrn. b. xx. p. 457- J Poggend. AnnaL b. viii. p. 397. 



§ Bullet. Scient. de St. Petcrsb. t. x. No. 18. || Ibid. 



