268 Messrs. Frankland and Kolbe on the 



compound of the same carbo-hydrogen = Cj2H5Cy. This 

 mode of decomposition of phenyle-oxalic acid becomes thus 

 completely analogous to the well-known formation of cj'^ano- 

 gen by heating oxalate of ammonia, and to the formation of 

 hydrocyanic acid from the formiate of ammonia. 



Benzoe-nitrile, viewed as cyanide of phenyle, would then, 

 together with the analogous body recently discovered by 

 Schlieper*, valero-nitrile (Cg Hg Cy, cyanide of valyle), be- 

 come allied to cyanide of ethyle; and as these bodies in contact 

 •with alkalies are so easily transformed into benzoic acid and 

 valerianic acid, it is to be presumed that cyanide of ethyle 

 under similar circumstances would become transformed into 

 ammonia and metacetonic acid. 



We prepared for this purpose pure cyanide of ethyle, ac- 

 cording to the process of Pelouze, by the distillation of sul- 

 phovinate of potash with cyanide of potassium. The yellow- 

 coloured liquid which passes overt was mixed with water, 

 and separated again by chloride of sodium, dried over chlo- 

 ride of calcium, and lastly distilled in a bent tube freed from 

 air and hermetically sealed. Purified in this manner cyanide 

 of ethyle is a limpid colourless liquid, having an odour much 

 resembling that of the terrible cacodyle. The analysis of the 

 substance gave the following numbers: — 



0*219 grm. gave 0*523 grm. of carbonic acid and 0'18G grm. 

 of water. Theory. 



Carbon . . 65*19 6 65*45 



Hydrogen . 9*46 5 9*09 



Nitrogen. . 25-35 1 25*46 



To settle the question started above, this cyanide of ethyle 

 was added drop by drop to a tolerably concentrated boiling 

 solution of caustic potash, and the product of distillation re- 

 turned to the retort as long as it retained any smell. During 

 this operation a considerable portion of ammonia was given 

 off. The alkaline residue distilled with sulphuric acid pro- 

 duced an acid liquid, which, neutralized with carbonate of 

 silver, baryta, or lead, gave the corresponding salts of those 

 bases. We had previously satisfied ourselves, by a carefully 

 conducted experiment, that no formic acid was present in 

 the acid solution. 



The silver salt crystallizes from its aqueous solution in 

 small acicular prisms. It is sparingly soluble in water, and 



• Annalen der Chemie, lix. p. 15. 



t We found, in contradiction to Pelouze's statement, that cyanide of 

 ethyle is tolerably soluble in water; but when the solutionis saturated with 

 common salt, it again separates unchanged and comes to the surface. 



