878 Royal Society : — 



once my view in regard of the constitution of this substance : — 



Ij +C4H4C1,=C4H J +2KC1. 



Cy}S» Cy /^^ 



The acid produced by the action of nitric acid upon sulphocyanide 

 of ethylene obviously belongs to the same type. In this compound, 

 which in the conception of this view may be caWeiethylcne-suljihurous 

 acid, the cyanogen is replaced by hydrogen, whilst the sulphur has 

 been oxidized into the compound radical Sjj Og, which in sulphurous 

 acid we assume united with hydrogen. 



Two Hip. Two equivs. H 1 ^ p, Ethylene- H \ ^ p. 



mole- H / "- of bisulphite K / ^^^^^ sulphu- q H J 



culesofHip. ofpotas- H 1 c o ^'^"^ ** "* I S O 



water. H I O^ slum. k)^^^'' acid. r}^^^^' 



Since we find that the hydroged-molecules in polybasic acids are 

 replaceable by two or more molecules of different metals or radicals, — 

 witness tartrate of potassium and sodium, oxaloviuate of potassium, — 

 the idea naturally suggests itself that the biatomic alcohol-forming 

 radicals may be capable of uniting two molecules of different elements 

 or compounds of the oxygen-group. It is probable, for instance, 

 that the ethionic acid, discovered by M. Magnus, may be such a 

 compound, namely ethylene-sulphuro-sulphurous acid. 



Disulphetholic ^ „ } S- ^^ Ethionic / ^^ Oe 



»«■ 'h'}s.O. -^- '''='} S.0, 



The following Table contains some of the known ethylene and 

 succinyle compounds compared with the corresponding derivatives of 

 the ethyle and propionyle series. 



Compounds of the Alcohol-forming Radicals. 

 Ethyle-series. Ethylene-series. 



Ethyle %^^^] Ethylene C, H^ 



Chloride of ethyle C4 H5 CI Chloride of ethylene. . C^ H^ C\ 

 Sulphide of ethyle ^^ ^ \ S, Sulphide of ethylene. . C^ H^ Sj 



XT •) 



Mercaptan 042^^82 Ethylene-mercaptan . . C4 H4 





} 



H '^'^ 



Cy 1 g 



Sulphocyanide of C. H. 1 ^ Sulphocyanide of ethy- p tt J ^ 



ethyle. Cy / *» lene. ' 'Is 



'] 



Cy '^•' 



