OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 253 



melting above 104° was obtained, which turned out to be the as yet 

 uudescribed metabromtrinitrotoluol. This compound is most easily- 

 prepared from the metabromdinitrotoluol, when it is convenient to 

 proceed as follows. 5 to 10 grs. of metabromdinitrotoluol were placed 

 in a flask, and 10 to 20 c.c. of a mixture of two volumes of fuming 

 nitric acid and one of strong sulphuric acid added. The whole was 

 then boiled until the evolution of red fumes had nearly ceased, when, 

 after it was cool, it was poured in a fine stream into a beaker of cold 

 water, stirring the liquid vigorously during the addition of the acid 

 solution, as in this way the product is precipitated in a granular form 

 much more easy to manage than the large compact lumps obtained if 

 the stirring is neglected. The product was then washed with cold 

 water till free from acid, and purified by crystallization from alcohol, 

 until it showed the constant melting point 143°. The residue from 

 the mother liquors, consisting of a mixture of metabromtrinitrotoluol 

 and the corresponding dinitro compound, can be advantageously used 

 for preparing a fresh quantity of the trinitro body. The pure sub- 

 stance was dried at 120°, and analyzed with the following results: — 



I. 0.3372 gr. of the substance gave on combustion 0.3356 gr. of 



carbonic dioxide and 0.0453 gr. of water. 

 II. 0.2651 gr. of the substance gave 32.9 c.c. of nitrogen at a tem- 

 perature of 21° and a pressure of 761.5 mm. 

 III. 0.1830 gr. of the substance gave, by the method of Carius, 

 0.1120 gr. of argentic bromide. 



Calculated for Found. 



C6HCH3Br(N02)3. I. II. III. 



Carbon 27.46 27.14 



Hydrogen 1.31 1.49 



Nitrogen 26.14 26.04 



Bromine 13.73 14.09 



The yield was about 60 per cent of the theoretical. 



Properties. — The metabromtrinitrotoluol crystallizes from alcohol 

 in small white needles, which melt at 143°. They are insoluble in 

 water, or ligroine ; nearly insoluble in cold alcohol, only sparingly 

 soluble in hot; slightly soluble in carbonic disulphide ; soluble in 

 ether, methyl alcohol, benzol, chloroform, glacial acetic acid, or acetone. 

 Boiling alcohol we found the best solvent for it, although it is so 

 slightly soluble in it. Aqueous sodic hydrate seemed to have no 

 action upon it, nor was it affected by the strong acids. The bromine 

 is removed easily, which we proved by the action of alcoholic ammonia 

 or aniline on it, as will be described later in this paper. 



