180 Dr. T. Anderson on the Products of the 



quantity of potash. It was, however, readily obtained by di- 

 stilling the fluid, and collecting only the first portion of the 

 product, from which it was separated by a comparatively small 

 expenditure of potash. The small quantity so obtained was 

 preserved separately from the large mass. 



The product of this operation was found to be extremely 

 complex, and to consist of a mixture of four or five different 

 bases, exclusive of ammonia. For the purpose of obtaining 

 these in a separate state, a great variety of processes was 

 attempted ; but none were found to answer so well as frac- 

 tionated distillation, although it is an extremely tedious method 

 of separation, and occasions a considerable loss of substance, 

 which is very annoying when the quantities obtained are so 

 small. When the mixed bases were distilled with a ther- 

 mometer, ammonia began to escape at a very low temperature ; 

 but at 160° Fahr. the fluid entered into steady ebullition, and 

 a perfectly transparent and limpid oil began to distil. A small 

 quantity of oil passed over between this temperature and 212°, 

 which was received by itself, and the after products collected 

 in'a succession of receivers, which were changed at every ten 

 degrees which the thermometer rose. The fluid continued in 

 steady and rapid ebullition, and the thermometer ascended 

 rapidly to 240°, and between that and 250° a considerable 

 quantity was collected. It then again went up pretty rapidly, 

 and another large quantity was obtained between 270° and 

 280° ; after which the distillation proceeded more slowly until 

 the temperature rose to 305°, at which point the characters 

 of the products underwent a complete change. All the sub- 

 stances obtained at lower temperatures dissolved instantane- 

 ously in water; but that which now distilled floated on the 

 surface, and only dissolved on agitation with a considerable 

 quantity of water. Distillation now continued with somewhat 

 greater rapidity, till the thermometer rose to about 355°, when 

 a drop of the product allowed to fall into a solution of chloride 

 of lime immediately gave the reaction of aniline. When this 

 was observed, the whole remaining products, which formed 

 only a small fraction of the whole, were collected together. 

 They consisted chiefly of aniline. 



The products of these different distillations were repeatedly 

 rectified, and by this means bases were obtained corresponding 

 to the points at which the thermometer was found to remain 

 longest in the first distillation. Of these I have as yet ex- 

 amined only the most volatile, and that which boiled at 

 about 270°/ 



