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



The composition is represented by the formula C 18 H 8 N 

 + 2(CiHg). 



Composition in per cents. 



18 equiv. Carbon . 

 8 ... Hydrogen 



1 ... Nitrogen . 



2 ... Chlorine . 

 2 ... Mercury . 



Leucol forms double salts with protochloride of tin and 

 chloride of antimony. The first presents itself as a yellow oil, 

 which after some time becomes crystalline, when a solution 

 of hydrochlorate of leucol is mixed with protochloride of tin. 

 It is sparingly soluble in alcohol. The salt of antimony is 

 obtained crystallized, by boiling in hydrochloric acid the pre- 

 cipitate produced by leucol in chloride of antimony, and al- 

 lowing the mixture to cool. The only other salt of this base 

 1 shall mention is the carbazotate, which is in every respect 

 analogous to the corresponding salt of cyanol. 



Decomposition of Leucol. 



I have not proceeded far with this investigation ; but at the 

 outset the products of decomposition of this base do not ap- 

 pear nearly so interesting as the numerous metamorphoses of 

 cyanol. 



An aqueous solution of chromic acid converts leucol into a 

 resinous mass, whereas the dry acid, when brought in contact 

 with anhydrous leucol, inflames it, as in the experiment with 

 cyanol. This effect is also produced upon nicotine, coniine, 

 chinoiline and sinnamine. I repeated this experiment with 

 some of the solid bases, as naphthalidam, thiosinnamine, sina- 

 poline, cinchonine and narcotine, and found that inflammation 

 also took place when any of the preceding bodies were slightly 

 heated with chromic acid. On the contrary, oil of mustard, 

 benzol, nitrobenzide, nitronaphtalase and carbolic acid are 

 not affected, even when the mixture is warmed. It appears 

 from this, that only the strong affinity between base and acid 

 is capable of producing the necessary temperature for ignition. 



When leucol is treated (in a similar manner to that de- 

 scribed under cyanol) with a solution of hydrochloric acid and 

 chlorate of potash, the liquid becomes covered with a layer of 

 an orange-red oil, which, upon cooling, solidifies into an olea- 

 ginous mass, completely insoluble in water, but readily dis- 

 solved by hot alcohol ; it separates again upon cooling in an 



