Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. S 1 7 



establish their composition. They are produced iinder three dif- 

 ferent circumstances, — 1st, by the action of potash on cyanic (Ethers; 

 2nd, by the action of potash upon cyanuric cethers ; and 3rd, by the 

 action of potash upon the ureas. These reactions will be best exhi- 

 bited by a few formulae : — 



C2NO,HO + 2KO + 2HO=2C02,KO + H3N 



Cyanic acid. Ammonia. 



C^ NO, C2 H3 + 2KO + 2HO=2COSKO + C2 H* N 

 Cyanate of methylene. Methylamide. 



C« NO, C* H* + 2KO+2HO=:2COS KO + C* H? N 

 Cyanic ather. Ethylamide. 



Cyanuric acid and the cyanuric aethers being isomeric with the 

 cyanic compounds, it will suffice to multiply the preceding formulae 

 by 3 to explain the second mode of formation. With respect to the 

 ureas, the following equations will show how they give rise to these 

 bases : — 



C2H4N202 + 2KO + 2HO=:2COSKO + H3N + H3N 



Urea. 



C^H6N^02 + 2KO+2HO=2COSKO + H3N + C2H^N 

 Acetic urea. 



C6 H8 N2 02+2KO+2HO=2CO^ K0 + H3 N + C* W N 



Metacetic urea. 

 Hydrochlorale of Methylamide. — I obtained this salt by boiling 

 cyanurate of methylene with an excess of potash in an apparatus 

 arranged so that the vapours of methylamide, after having passed 

 through a refrigerator, were condensed in a receiver containing a 

 little pure water. The excessively caustic liquid thus obtained has 

 a strong odour of ammonia, but does not contain a trace of that 

 alkali; for if saturated with hydrochloric acid and evaporated to 

 dryness, the residue, consisting of hydrochlorate of methylamide, 

 dissolves very readily in hot absolute alcohol. The salt crystallizes 

 on cooling in beautiful laminae, which are iridescent so long as they 

 float in the liquid, and assume a nacreous appearance when dry. 

 Analysis gave — 



Carbon 17'4 2 = 12 17-7 



Hydrogen 8*7 6 6 8-8 



Chlorine 52-2 1 35-5 52-5 



Nitrogen 21'7 1 14- 21-0 



Hydrochlorate of Methylamide and Chloride of Platinum. — Beau- 

 tiful golden scales, which are soluble in hot water, and contain 

 CIH, C'^ H^ N PtCR Analysis gave— 



Carbon 5*3 2=12 5-0 



Hydrogen 2*8 6 6 2-5 



Chlorine 44''4 3 106*5 44-9 



Platinum 41-4 1 98-6 415 



Nitrogen 1 14 



Nitrate of Methylamide — beautiful transparent prisms, which are 

 soluble in alcohol. 



