32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



tolerably perfect crystals of the trimetric system were obtained. This 

 compound may be dried, without decomposition, at 100°, and gave then 

 OQ analysis, — 



0.1668 grm. left on ignition 0.0646 grm. silver. 



Calculated for Found. 



AgC,II,(CIl3)N,03. 

 Ag 38.71 38.61 



Baeyer * has shown that allantoin, when heated with hydriodic acid, 

 breaks up into urea and hydantoin ; and it was evident that methyl- 

 allantoin should give an analogous reaction. I therefore heated 

 methylallantoin with concentrated hydriodic acid, following the direc- 

 tions given by Baeyer.t When the reaction appeared to be ended, 

 the liberated iodine was reduced with sulphide of hydrogen, and the 

 hydriodic acid removed by plumbic carbonate. The filtrate gave on 

 evaporation, after standing for some time, clear crystals, which, freed 

 from the syrupy mother liquor, and recrystallized from water, formed 

 transparent prisms, readily soluble in water or alcohol, and giving no 

 precipitate with zincic chloride. Ti)eir melting point I found to be 

 144°-145°. The quantity at my disposal was insufficient for analysis, 

 but there can be no doubt of the identity of this substance with methyl 

 hydantoiu described by Neubauer t as resulting from the action of 

 baric hydrate upon creatinine, inasmuch as he gives these properties and 

 the melting point 145'^. The reaction may, therefore, be written, — 



CH3 



/ 



C,H,(CH3)N,03 + H, = Co' + Co'' 



\ \ 



NH^ NH— CO 



Once, as the action of the hydi-iodic acid was longer continued, I 

 obtained a substance crystallizing in broad rhombic plates, readily 

 soluble in water, sparingly soluble in alcohol, wlii^h gave a precipitate 

 with an alcoholic soUition of zincic chloride. These crystals melted 

 at 10,5°, and sublimed readily at 100°. They were evidently sarcosine 

 formed from the decomposition of methylliydantoin. 



* Ann. Chem. u. Plmrm. 117, 178. 

 t Ann. Cliera. u. Pharm. 130, 158. 

 } Ann Chem. u. Pharm. 137, 288. 



