670 



Mr. Liidicig Mond 

 Typical Carbon Kadicals. 



[June 3 



I. 



II. 



(Known in the free state.) 



Acetylene — C H 



Di-acetylene H C C H C^U^ 



Methylene 



— H 



— H 



Di-methylene 

 (defiant gas) 



H — 



H — 



C 



C 



— H 



— H 



CoH, 



Metliyl 



C — 



— H 



— H 



— H 



H — 



Di-methyl H 



H 



— C— C 



— H 



— H 



— H 



CoHfi 



Cyanogen — C — — N 



Di-cyanogen N C — C N C^'N^ 



Carbonyl 



C 



O 



Carbonic oxide 



C 



o 



CO 



salt to consist of two atoms of potassium, five of carbon, and five of 

 oxygen, and not to contain any hydrogen, as had previously been 

 supposed. 



Since the publication of Liebig's paper, potassium carbonyl has 

 been studied by numerous investigators, amongst whom Sir Benjamin 

 Brodie deserves particular mention ; but it has been reserved to 

 Nietzki and Benkiser to determine finally in the year 1885, by a 

 series of brilliant investigations, its exact constitution and its place 

 in the edifice of chemistry. They have proved that it has the 

 formula KgCgOe; that the six carbons in this compound are linked 

 together in the form of a benzole ring ; that, in fact, the compound 

 is hexhydroxylbenzole, in which all the hydrogen is replaced by 

 potassium. By simple treatment with an acid it can be converted 

 into the hexhydi'oxylbenzoie, and from this substance it is possible 

 to produce, by a series of reactions well known to organic chemists, 

 the whole wide range of the benzole compounds. The body which 

 Liebig obtained by the direct action of carbonic oxide on potassium 

 has thus enabled us to prepare synthetically in a very simple way 

 from purely inorganic substances — to wit, from potash and carbon, or 

 if we like even from potash and iron — the whole seriej of those most 



