Dr. Debus on the Action of Ammonia on Glyoxal. 211 



now contains two organic bases — one in the shape of a crystalline 

 precipitate, whicb I propose to call glycosine, and the other in 

 solution, to which in this paper the name of glyoxaline will be 

 applied. Besides these two substances, only a little formic acid and 

 the excess of ammonia can be recognized in the liquid. 



Glycosine=CgHp, N^. The crystals contained in the ammoniacal 

 liquid are collected on a filter and washed with cold water. By 

 dissolving them in diluted hydrochloric acid, treating with charcoal, 

 and adding ammonia to the decolorized solution, the glycosine is 

 obtained as a colourless, crystalline precipitate. The crystals are 

 little prisms, tasteless, inodorous, and only soluble in a great quan- 

 tity of boiling water. They become very electric when rubbed in a 

 mortar. A little glycosine placed between two watch-glasses and 

 heated on a sand-bath, sublimes without leaving a residue, and 

 produces magnificent prismatic needles, sometimes half an inch in 

 length. It forms salts with acids, which generally crystallize well. 

 The chloride has a great tendency to form double salts with the 

 chlorides of copper, mercury, and platinum. 



Chloroplatinate, C, H,N, + 2(H ClPt CIJ, forms a fine yellow 

 crystalline powder, soluble with difficulty in water. An excess of 

 water seems to abstract bichloride of platinum and hydrochloric 

 acid. Glycosine is formed from ammonia and glyoxal according to 

 the equation — 



3(C,H,0,)-i-4NH3=C,H3N, + 6H,0 



Glyoxal. Glycosine. Water. 



I showed on another occasion, that glyoxal has the properties of 

 an aldehyde. Its behaviour towards ammonia confirms my former 

 conclusions. The formation of amaiune, from oil of bitter almonds, 

 of acetonine from acetone and ammonia, takes place in a similar 

 manner : — 



3(C, H, O) + 2NH3= C,, H,, N,+ 3H, O 



Amarine. 

 3(C3H,0) + 2NH3=C,H,,N,-I-3H,0 



Acetonine. 



In all other known cases, when from an aldehyde or the chloride 

 of an alcohol radical and ammonia, a basic substance is formed, 

 one or two equivalents of ammonia participate in the reaction. 



If ammonia and glyoxal decompose each other, four equivalents of 

 the first transfer their nitrogen to one equivalent of the base pro- 

 duced. The direct derivation from ammonia of a base which con- 

 tains four equivalents of nitrogen, seems to me to be very inter- 

 eating. 



The rational formula of glycosine is probably 



fCJI, 



[CM, 



C, Hj being equivalent to H^. 



