Decomposition of Cuminaie of Ammonia by Heat. 463 



precisely the same relation to cuminate of ammonia as oxa- 

 mide to oxalate of ammonia. 



In preparing large quantities of this substance the employ- 

 ment of close tubes would be very inconvenient, and I soon 

 found that it could be obtained in a retort by the continued 

 application of a heat sufficient to keep the salt in a state of 

 semi-fluidity. The analyses II. and III. vi^ere made with the 

 product obtained in this manner. 



Cuminamide crystallizes like benzamide, in two forms, ac- 

 cording to the state of the solution ; if crystalUzed imme- 

 diately, or from a strong solution, it separates in the form of 

 crystalline tables of great brilliancy, but if the solution be di- 

 lute, it crystallizes after the lapse of some hours in long 

 opake needles, both forms having exactly the same compo- 

 sition. It is soluble in hot and cold alcohol in any propor- 

 tion, as also in aether. This new amide differs from most 

 others that have been described in remaining intact on the 

 addition of strong solution of potash, or mineral acids ; from 

 the former it crystallizes in large plates after some days. 

 Long boiling with alkalies or acids is scarcely sufficient to 

 produce the characteristic conversion of amides either into 

 ammoniacal salts or combinations of the base with the acid 

 and evolution of ammonia. 



Cumonitrile. — On heating cuminate of ammonia until it is 

 perfectly fused, and keeping the fused mass in a state of brisk 

 ebullition, large globules of a light yellowish oil pass over 

 with water, evidently derived from the decomposition of the 

 salt ; when the globules began to diminish the process was 

 stopped, the oil was separated from the water in the receiver 

 by means of a pipette, the remaining distillate added to the 

 mass in the retort, and the process again repeated as before ; 

 in this manner, after some half-dozen distillations, nearly an 

 ounce of oil was obtained ; it was well- washed with ammonia 

 to remove cuminic acid, which seemed to be soluble in the 

 oil, then treated with hydrochloric acid to remove ammonia, 

 thoroughly washed with water, and digested with chloride of 

 calcium; after standing some days to separate chloride of 

 calcitim, it was distilled and carefully rectified, the first por- 

 tions being rejected, as possibly containing traces of water ; 

 the middle portion was reserved and placed in a retort with a 

 coil of platinum ; the liquid entered into ebullition at 239° C, 

 at which point it remained stationary while at least a quarter 

 of an ounce was passing over. This portion was employed 

 in the following analyses : — 



I. 0*212 grm. burnt with oxide of copper yielded 0*644 of 

 carbonic acid and 0*145 of water. 



