86 PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY 



Saks of AniUdotrinitrotartronic Ester. 



The anilidotrinitrotartronic ester has well marked acid properties. 

 An aqueous solution of acid sodic carbonate has essentially no action on 

 it, but if alcohol is added there is a slight but distinct action indicated 

 by the change of color ; potassic carbonate gives in aqueous solution a 

 slight red color, which becomes a strong red if alcohol is added ; sodic 

 hydrate in aqueous solution gives a very dark red, apparently convert- 

 ing the substance completely into its salt ; ammonic hydrate also gives 

 a strongf red color, which is intensified on the addition of alcohol. 

 Some of the alkaline salts were studied more carefully with the fol- 

 fowing results. 



Monopotassium Salt, C6H(CoH5NH)(NO,)3COK(COOCoH5)o. 



This salt was made by adding 20 c. c. of absolute alcohol to 0.5 gr. 

 of the ester, and then a large excess of pure potassic carbonate ; car- 

 bonic dioxide was given off, the solution became very dark red, and 

 after disestinir the substances for eight to ten minutes with the occa- 

 sional aid of a little heat, the dark brown solution was filtered from the 

 excess of potassic carbonate, evaporated to dryness in a beaker sunk 

 throughout its whole length in the steam bath, and analyzed with the 

 following results: — 



I. 0.3458 gr. of the salt heated with strong sulphuric acid gave 

 0.0548 gr. of potassic sulphate. 

 II. 0.3748 gr. of the salt gave 0.0G9G gr. of potassic sulphate. 



Calculated for Found. 



C«H(C„H5NH)(N0,)3C0K(C0AH5)2- I- H. 



Potassium 7.58 7.11 8.34 



The absolute alcohol used in the second analysis had not been 

 freshly prepared, and the slight excess of potassium can be accounted 

 for by the assumption that it had absorbed a little water. 



Properties. — The acid potassic anilidotrinitrophenyltartronic ester, 

 when prepared by the method described above, forms a brownish 

 black amorphous solid, freely soluble in water or alcohol, slightly sol- 

 uble in ether, and insoluble in benzol. The solutions have a dark 

 brown color. 



Disodium Salt, CoH(C„Il5NNa)(NOo)3CONa(COOCoH5)2. 



This salt seemed to be formed, to our great surprise, by the action 

 of an alcoholic solution of sodic hydrate on an excess of the anilido- 

 trinitrophenyltartronic ester. To prepare it, about 0.7 gr. of the ester 



