Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 393 



in water, it is very difficult to prove the existence of these oxides. 

 If, however, an alkaloid could be made to unite with a homologue 

 of water, the elements corresponding to H a O might form a more 

 stable combination, and the reality of the action be established. 

 Such a result has actually been attained by Dr. Hofmann, who has 

 indirectly formed a combination of triaethammine with alcohol. An 

 ammonia uniting with water which has two atoms of replaceable 

 hydrogen, might form either NH 5 = NH 4 ,HOor N-H 8 0= (NH 4 ) 2 0. 

 Did triaethammine unite directly with hydric aether, we might obtain 

 the alcohol compound corresponding to the latter oxide, but alcohol 

 is EtHO containing but one atom of C 2 H 5 , and consequently we 

 have N Et 4 , HO. It is obtained by the action of triaethammine upon 

 iodide of aethyle, which is the homologue of hydriodic acid ; and as 

 the acid produces with ammonia the iodide of ammonium, the aether 

 yields the iodide of the new quasi-metal tetrathylammonium, which, 

 when decomposed by oxide of silver, yields thehydrated oxide of the 

 new base (N Et 4 H)0, corresponding to (KH)O, hydrate of potash, 

 which it closely resembles in its acridness, causticity, and powerfully 

 alkaline characters, particularly as shown in its reactions with me- 

 tallic salts, and in its power of saponifying oils. Although termed 

 an organic alkaloid, it will be seen that this and its analogous com- 

 pounds cannot be assimilated to the organic bases containing oxygen 

 like quinine, with which they have been compared, as the latter 

 combine directly with acids and carry their oxygen into their saline 

 combinations, while Hofmann's bases eliminate an equivalent of 

 water which contains their atom of oxygen. 



The action of an alloy of potassium and antimony upon the iodide 

 of aethyle has furnished to MM. Lowig and Schweizer a volatile 

 liquid, spontaneously inflammable, and having the formula C 6 H l3 Sb, 

 which corresponds to triaethammine, in which N is replaced by Sb*. 

 It does not appear whether it forms direct compounds with acids. 

 When slowly oxidized, it takes up an equivalent of oxygen and yields 

 a viscid liquid which combines with acids, and forms salts with the 

 elimination of an equivalent of water. M. Gerhardt has shown that 

 this compound, which the authors designate as oxide of stibcethyle, 

 is to be regarded as the hydrate of a new base, C e H 13 Sb, for which 

 he proposes the name stibatMne\ ; it is formed from stibaethyle by 

 the loss of H-, as harmine is derived from harmaline. The consti- 

 tution of the hydrate is analogous to Hofmann's new ammonium 

 bases ; Sb OH's, H 2 = (Sb C' ; H 14 , H)0, and Sb C 6 H 14 is equivalent 

 to NH< ammonium. Nitric acid oxidizes H 2 in stibaethyle and forms 

 an acid nitrate of stibaethine. Sulphur, chlorine, and bromine com- 

 bine directly with stibaethyle, yielding compounds which have all 

 the characters of salts of stibaethine, and may be formed by double 

 decomposition from the salts of the oxide. Stibaethyle even decom- 

 poses strong hydrochloric acid, evolving hydrogen to form a chloride, 

 which is also produced by the action of a metallic chloride upon the 

 nitrate of stibaethine ; its composition is that of an acid salt, Sb C 6 H 13 , 

 * Chem. Gaz. vol. viii. pp. 201, 3J?2, 3!)5, 420. 

 t Complcs liendus des Trauvaux tie C'kimie, 1850, p. 400. 



