( 89 ) 
formic acid, which we have also prepared and obtained as a liquid, 
does not when heated, yield ethyl alcohol or ethylene and water 
but distils unaltered, at least in vacuo. 
The above mentioned internal ester of oxethylaminoformie acid 
had been previously obtained by GaBrieL in a different and less 
expensive manner which we have afterwards imitated. 
Viewed in connection with oxazol, we may call this heterocyclic 
compound: gw ketotetrahydro-oxazol, « keto-oxazolidin or tetrahydro- 
oxazolon. 
It proved to be a better starting point for the preparation of 
nitramino-alcohol than the methyl ester. Poured into real nitric acid 
it at once yields quantitatively a mononitroderivative which is not 
further acted upon by nitric acid, so that it may be evaporated with 
four times its weight of this acid to dryness on the waterbath without 
suffering any decomposition ; the same has been previously stated for 
hydantoine and its derivatives. This mononitroderivative is more 
soluble in hot benzene than the internal ester and crystallises on 
cooling in beautiful, long, lustrous needles which melt at 111°. 
This nitrocompound in which the nitro-group is undoubtedly linked 
to the nitrogen yields on boiling with water quantitatively CO, and 
nitramino-ethanol (oxethylnitramine) the desired nitramino-alcohol, 
according to the equation: 
CH,. N—NO, CH,. NH- NO, 
CH, - O—CO CH,. OH 
The product which remains dissolved in the water is obtained 
on evaporation as a syrupy liquid. On boiling the aqueous solution 
with mercuric oxide a mercury salt was prepared which is but very 
sparingly soluble in cold water and crystallises in fine needles. A 
silver salt was obtained in beautiful, nacreous plates by heating the 
aqueous solution with silver carbonate. Both salts have been analysed. 
On heating they explode, the mercury salt more violently than 
the silver compound. The mercury salt is not decomposed by boiling 
with water but the silver salt is reduced. We have prepared both 
these salts because there is then no danger that the alcoholic OH- 
group will yield a metallic derivative. Nitramino-ethanol does not 
produce at once a precipitate in a solution of silver nitrate as is the 
case with methylnitramine and also ethylnitramine, thence the pre- 
paration of the silver salt with silver carbonate. 
