contained in Coal-gas Naphtha. 267 



amorphous state. Treated with nitric acid this substance did 

 not produce carbazotic acid. 



By transmitting a stream of chlorine gas through leucol, 

 the temperature greatly increases, with formation of a black 

 resinous substance and evolution of hydrochloric acid. 



The body formed by the action of bromine upon leucol and 

 solutions of its salts appears to be of a similar nature. It is 

 insoluble in water, slightly soluble in alcohol or a2ther, and 

 deposits from the solution as an amorphous powder. 



Iodine dissolves in leucol, but no crystals are obtained. 



Nitric acid, even fuming, attacks leucol very tardily. After 

 the base had been five times redistilled with this acid, the 

 greater part of it separated unchanged on the addition of 

 potash. By the long-continued action of a large excess of 

 nitric acid, the oil was at length converted into a brown mass, 

 which admitted, while warm, of being drawn into long 

 threads, but upon cooling became a friable resin. It possessed 

 a bitter taste, dissolved easily in potash, and was not carba- 

 zotic acid. 



Leucol (as well as cyanol) is decomposed into oxalic acid 

 and ammonia by hypermanganate of potash. 



Potassium dissolves in leucol, disengaging hydrogen, but 

 no coloured compound results. When this metal is melted 

 in an atmosphere of leucol, cyanide of potassium is formed. 

 I was anxious in this decomposition to ascertain what became 

 of the other elements of the base. In order to perform the 

 experiment on a more extended scale, I conducted the vapour 

 of the oil over a layer of carbonized tartar, by which means I 

 expected to replace the potassium. However in this process 

 only a small quantity of cyanide of potassium was formed, and 

 the greater part of the leucol passed over unchanged. The 

 property which this base possesses of resisting decomposition 

 at high temperatures is particularly characteristic, but readily 

 explicable when we consider the enormous degree of heat at 

 which it is produced in the retorts of gas-works. Leucol may 

 be passed over caustic lime at a white heat without suffering 

 decomposition. 



From the preceding researches, although as yet so incom- 

 plete, no other conclusion can be drawn, but that leucol be- 

 longs to quite a different type of compounds from cyanol ; and 

 further investigations must solve the problem as to what series 

 of bodies leucol bears a relation. 



