12 Mr. Nicholson on the 



as Professor Liebig * already remarks, and, as may be seen 

 from the following comparison of the per-centages correspond- 

 ing to this formula with his analytical results, which I have 

 calculated with the new atomic weights of carbon : — 



44 eqs. Carbon 3300-00 59-23 59-85 



26 ... Hydrogen 325-00 5-83 5-85 



2 ... Nitrogen 354-00 6-55 



7 ... Oxygen 700-00 12-66 



1 ... Phosphoric acid . . . 892-28 15-73 



1 ... Phosphate of strjxhnine 5571-28 100*00 



It is evident from these numbers that the phosphate of 

 strychnine analysed by Regnault is a common phosphate, 

 corresponding to the phosphate of soda with 1 equiv. of fixed 

 base. 



Besides this. Dr. A. T. Thomson f relates an analysis of 

 phosphate of morphine by Dr. Gilbert, from which however 

 no conclusion relative to the composition of this salt can be 

 deduced, the analysis being incomplete. 



It being a matter of indifference whether the base which I 

 took for experiment was a natural alkaloid or one prepared 

 artificially in the laboratory, I selected aniline, deeming it 

 especially suited to my purpose, as this base generally forms 

 with acids readily crystallizable compounds. 



I. Compounds of Tribasic Phosphoric Acid with 



AxiLINE. 



1. Phosphate with 2 equivs. of Aniline and 1 equiv. of Water. 



On adding aniline in excess to a strong solution of tribasic 

 phosphoric acid, the w hole instantly solidified to a white cry- 

 stalline mass, which was drained, pressed, dissolved in a large 

 quantity of boiling dilute alcohol, and filtered through a \^ arm 

 funnel ; on coohng, the whole became a mass of crystals ; after 

 pressing these between folds of bibulous paper, I finally dried 

 them on a warm porous tile. 



When dry, this salt appears as beautiful flesh-coloured 

 nacreous plates, which might be readily taken for thionurate 

 of ammonia, quite inodorous, slightly acid to test paper. They 

 are very soluble in aether and water, sparingly soluble in cold 

 alcohol, but very soluble in hot, so that upon cooling the whole 



* Handworlerhuch der Chemie, article ' Organic Bases,' vol. i. p. 70. 



■\- Pliarni. Jouvnal, vol. ii. p. 500, 'On the Preparation, Characters, and 

 Composiiioii of the Nitrate, Phosphate, Tartrates and Hydriodatc of Mor- 

 phia,' by Anthony Todd Thomson, M.D., F.L.S. 



