On the Action of IVater upon certain Sulphomethylates. 69 



Because of the identity in odour of sulphate of methyle and 

 sulpliomethylates undergoing decomposition, I am the more in- 

 chued to beheve that sulphate of methyle is produced by the 

 action of boiling water upon certain sulphomethylates, or in their 

 spontaneous metamorphosis ; although, indeed, in the first case 

 it can exist at any one time in minute quantity only, on account 

 of its almost immediate re-solution into methylic alcohol and 

 sulphomethylic acid. 



Of the truth of these ideas, which theory at first suggested, 

 and experiment has since established, the present paper is in- 

 tended to afford direct proofs : it also contains the results of an 

 experimental inquiry as to the action of water upon sulphome- 

 thylate of fethyle. To this latter inquiry my attention was 

 directed by certain theoretical considerations : the following 

 questions suggested themselves for solution : — 



Would 



C2 w son , OTTO - C2 H4 m 4. c^ H^ son 



Or would the reaction be more complicated, two equivalents 

 of sulphomethylate of sethyle being concerned in it, as in the 

 reaction with sulphomethylate of baryta which I have already 

 described; thus : — 



C2 w son : c^ h^ son 



C2 w S04 \ J^^:::^ — -^^^__C4 H5 SO" 1 



C* H^ so-* J C H5 SO" J 



And then in the second stage, the sulphomethylate of methyle 

 and the sulphsethylate of sethyle decomposing in the way pre- 

 viously mentioned ; thus: — 



C2 W son OHO - C'^ H" 0^ 4- ^' ^' ^^'\ 



and 



cni^son .oHo-c'Heo^+^'^'^^'l 



C4H5SO"/+^*^"-^ ^ ^ + H SO"/ 



Although chloride of methyle is without action upon sulpho- 

 methylate of potash, yet if sulphomethylate of silver, iodide of 

 methyle, and absolute alcohol*, be brought together and sub- 

 mitted in a sealed tube to a considerable temperature in the oil- 

 bath, iodide of silver will form, and after opening the vessel some 



* If water be present, methylic alcohol and sulphomethylic acid, together 

 with a minute quantity of an indifferent oil, will occur instead of sulphate 

 of methyle. 



