JACKSON AND GAZZOLO. — NITRO COMPOUNDS. 277 



Attempts to obtain Colored Compounds with other Reagents. 



Sodic phenylate, made by adding sodium to an excess of phenol, gave 

 with trinitrobenzol a clear red color, but no precipitate. A similar result 

 was obtained when an alcoholic solution of sodic phenylate was added to 

 a benzol solution of triuitranisol ; but this latter coloration does not 

 necessarily proceed from the sodic phenylate, as part of it may have been 

 converted into sodic ethylate by the alcohol. 



Sodic hydrate also gives a red color with trinitrobenzol, as was observed - 

 by Hepp,* but as there seemed little chance of isolating this in a state fit 

 for analysis, we did not attempt to study it. 



The sodium salt of phloroglucine, made by treating an excess of it 

 with sodic hydrate, gave a light reddish color when treated with a ben- 

 zol solution of trinitrobenzol, and upon adding an excess of benzol a most 

 uninviting sticky precipitate was formed which it would have been foolish 

 to try to analyze. We doubt whether this colored substance was really 

 a phloroglucine compound, as it is very possible that it was formed from 

 a little sodic hydrate produced by the decomposition of the sodium salt of 

 the phloroglucine. 



Benzvl cyanide treated with metallic sodium, after the slight action 

 with the sodium was finished, was mixed with trinitrobenzol. Upon 

 stirring for a few seconds a deep blood-red precipitate appeared in large 

 quantity; but it was so unstable that even the addition of benzol to wash 

 out the excess of benzylcyanide converted it into a black tarry mass, so 

 that we were obliged to give up all idea of analyzing it. 



Attempts to obtain Colored Compounds from other Nitro Bodies. 



Picramide, CgH2(N02)3NH2, treated with a mixture of sodic methylate, 

 methyl alcohol, and anhydrous benzol, gave at once a strongly colored 

 dark crimson solution, which deposited a brick red precipitate ; but in 

 collecting it for analysis the substance decomposed as soon as it dried on 

 the porous plate, forming a brownish mass which later became tarry. 

 We were unable, therefore, to make an analysis, 



Trichlorbromdinitrobenzol (CI3 1. 3, 5. Br2(N"02)2 4. 6.) gives a strong 

 vermilion color with an alcoholic solution of sodic ethylate, as already 

 stated by us in a previous paper, f 



Dinitrotoluol ((N02)2 2. 4.) melting at 70° .5 gave with sodic methylate 



* Ann. Cheni. (Liebig), CCXV. 359. 

 t These Proceedings, XXXIV. 148. 



