M. Cloez on Cyanetholine. 273 
By the action of chloride of benzoyle on sodium-aleohol benzoic 
“ether is formed: 
C*H°NaO? + C4H502Cl = NaCl + C* HO, C4? H5 03, 
Sodium-aleohol. Chloride of benzoyle. Benzoic ether. 
The action of chloride of cyanogen on sodium-alcohol might be 
expected to give cyanate of eethyle. Such, however, is not the 
case: Cloez* has found that a new base isomeric with cyanate 
of zthyle is formed. When gaseous chloride of cyanogen is 
passed into a solution of sodium-aleohol in absolute alcohol, the 
gas is rapidly absorbed and chloride of sodium is separated. 
After the action is over, the mixture is distilled on the water- 
bath, and the residual syrupy liquid is washed with water to free 
it from admixed chloride of sodium. This liquid has the compo- 
sition of cyanic «ther, C4 H® O, C? NO, but quite different pro- 
perties. Cloez names it Cyanetholine. Its formation is thus :— 
5 
C4 Na }O? + C?NCI=NaCl + C&H5O2N. 
Sodium-aleohol. Chloride of Cyanetholine. 
cyanogen. 
Cyanztholine is insoluble in water, but soluble in all propor- 
tions in alcohol and ether. It has a bitter taste, and an odour 
resembling that of sweet oil of wine. It cannot be distilled 
without decomposition. Concentrated potash decomposes it 
with formation of ammonia. It forms with most acids crystal- 
lizable salts, of which the hydrochlorate unites with bichloride 
of platinum to form a yellow double salt, and the nitrate with 
nitrate of silver to form a double salt, which ocewrs in large 
crystals. 
By this action a series of bases homologous with cyanzetholine 
may be obtained from other alcohols, which would run parallel 
with the series which includes glycocoll, alanine and leucine. 
Schwanert + has investigated some of the decompositions of 
leucine, and has been led thereby to suggest a new view of its 
constitution. By the action of high temperatures it decomposes 
into amylamine and carbonic acid {. Leucine dissolves in fuming 
sulphuric acid, and the solution is the more colourless the less the 
temperature has been allowed to rise ; but if heated to 100° Ga 
the solution becomes very brown: on diluting the solution 
with water, adding carbonate of baryta and then filterimg, pure 
leucine is obtained from the filtrate. Anhydrous sulphuric acid 
acts on leucine with great energy ; the acid is rapidly absorbed, 
* Comptes Rendus, March 2, 1857. 
if Liebig’s Annalen, May 1857. t Phil. Mag. July 1857. 
Phil, Mag. S. 4. Vol. 14. No. 93. Oct. 1857. dh 
