Destructive Distillation of Animal Substances. 215 



sealed hermetically in a combustion tube. The two fluids mix 

 readily, but if the tube containing them be gently heated, by 

 plunging it for the space of half a minute into the water-bath, 

 an action takes place attended with the evolution of much beat, 

 the fluid becomes muddy, and separates into a thick oily stratum 

 which rises to the surface, and a more fluid one which descends. 

 On cooling, the former solidifies into a highly crystalline mass, 

 and well-formed crystals appear in the latter, which consists of 

 the excess of iodide of sethyle. Even without the application of 

 heat the action takes place, though more slowly, and it is neces- 

 sary to have them in contact for some days before the action is 

 finished. When heat is applied, the action is complete in ten 

 minutes, but in every instance the tubes were allowed to stand 

 for twenty-four hours, so as to present the complete crystalliza- 

 tion of the new compound. The tubes were then opened, the 

 whole contents thrown upon a filter, and the crystals slightly 

 washed with a mixture of alcohol and aether, pressed between 

 folds of filtering paper, and dissolved in the smallest possible 

 quantity of a mixture of boiling alcohol and aether. On cooling, 

 the new substance is deposited in beautiful silvery plates. It is 

 highly soluble in water, and though not deliquescent, it becomes 

 slightly damp in moist air. Its aqueous solution, on evaporation, 

 solidifies into a mass of crystals. It is readily soluble in alcohol, 

 especially when boiling, and the hot solution on cooling becomes 

 filled with crystals. It is less soluble in aether. It fuses below 

 212° into an oily fluid. Its analysis gave these results : — 



5-350 grs., dried in vacuo, gave 7*570 grs. carbonic acid and 

 2-375 grs. water. 



6-440 grs., dried in vacuo, gave by direct precipitation 6-065 

 grs. iodide of silver. 



Experiment. Calculation. 

 .A 



10000 10000 248 



These results agree with the formula C 16 H u N HI, which is that 

 of hydriodate of aethylopicoline. 



On the addition of a few drops of caustic potash to the solu- 

 tion of this salt no odour of a volatile base is evolved, nor is there 

 any separation of an oily layer, but the addition of a large quan- 

 tity of strong potash causes the precipitation of a viscid oil, 

 which solidifies on standing for some hours into a mass of cry- 

 stals, generally much coloured, and which proves to he I he 

 hydriodate partially altered by decomposition. When boiled 



