OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 301 



a quantity as possible of cold alcohol, water was then added until 

 it began to grow turbid, when the solution was cleared by the ad- 

 dition of a drop or two of alcohol, and allowed to evaporate spon- 

 taneously, all these operations being carried on in the cold. When 

 it showed the constant melting point 77-78°, it was dried and 

 analyzed with the following results : — 



0.2298 gr. of the substance gave on combustion 0.2792 gr. of 

 carbonic dioxide and 0.0597 gr. of water. 



Calculated for 

 C 6 (0CH 3 ),0H(N0 2 )3. Found. 



Carbon 33.22 33.13 



Hydrogen 2.42 2.89 



To confirm this result the sodium salt was made and analyzed; 

 for this purpose 1 gr. of the substance was treated with 0.1 gr. of 

 sodic hydrate dissolved in a little water, that is, decidedly less sodic 

 hydrate than would be needed to convert the whole of the substance 

 into its salt. The yellow solution thus obtained was evaporated to 

 dryness at 100°, washed with benzol to remove the small quantity 

 of the free phenol which had dissolved in the water, dried at 100°, 

 and analyzed with the following result: — 



0.3730 gr. of the salt gave 0.0874 gr. of sodic sulphate. 



Sodium 



These analyses and the analogy with the corresponding ethyl 

 compound leave no doubt that the substance is the dimethylether 

 of trinitrophloroglucine. 



Properties of the Dimethylether of Trinitrophloroglucine, 

 C 6 (OCH 3 ) 2 OH(N0 2 ) 3 . — The substance crystallizes with the pre- 

 cautions given above in long slender needles, with a slightly 

 yellowish tinge, which melt at 77-78°, and are very soluble in ethyl 

 alcohol, methyl alcohol, ether, benzol, chloroform, acetone, or gla- 

 cial acetic acid; soluble in carbonic disulphide; slightly soluble in 

 ligroine; somewhat soluble in cold water, more soluble in hot. 

 With alkalies it forms reddish yellow salts. Strong sulphuric or 

 hydrochloric acid does not act on it; it dissolves in strong nitric 

 acid, but seems to be precipitated unchanged by dilution. 



We also obtained a small amount of another substance with a 

 higher melting point, but not in sufficient quantity to charac- 

 terize it. 



