Dr. Frankland on Organo-metallic Bodies. 381 



flagrate explosively, like loose gunpowder, at a temperature con- 

 siderably below redness. 



The following salts have been prepared and analysed : — 



Formula;. 



Dinitroethylate of silver No Cj H^ O4 Ag 



Double nitrate and dinitroethylate of silver N^ C4 H5 O4 Ag + NOg Ag 



Dinitroethylate of copper 2(N., C4 H^ O4 Cu) 4- HO 



Dinitroethylate of zinc (crystallized) 2(N2C4 H5 O4 Zn) + HO 



Dinitroethylate of zinc (anhydrous) No C4 H5 O4 Zn 



Dhiitroethylate of zinc (basic) N, C4 H5 O4 Zn+ ZnO 



Dinitroethylate of zinc and zincethyle .... N2C4H504Zn+C4H5Za 



Dinitroethylate of baryta No C4 H5 O4 Ba 



Dinitroethylate of lime N^ C4 H5 O4 Ca+ 3H0 



Dinitroethylate of magnesia No C4 H5 O4 Mg 



Dinitroethylate of soda N, C4 H^ O4 Na. 



Binitromethylic acid. — When binoxide of nitrogen is absorbed by 

 zincmethyle, dinitromethylic acid is produced, and forms a series of 

 salts homologous with those of dinitroethyHc acid. The formula of 

 this acid is 



N.C.HgOjH, 



aud the following salts have been examined : — 



Dinitromethylate of zinc Nj C2 H3 O4 Zn + HO 



Dinitromethylate of soda N^ C^ H., O4 Na + 2H0 



Dinitromethylate of zinc and zincmethyle No Cj H.,04 Zn + Co H., Zu ? 

 It is difficult to arrive at any satisfactory conclusion relative to the 

 rational constitution of this series of acids ; they may be regarded as 

 belonging to the type of nitrous acid, containing a double equivalent 

 of nitrogen, and in which one atom of oxygen has been replaced by 

 an alcohol radical, thus, 



rCnHn+1 



-Is 



or they may be viewed as constructed upon the hyponitrous acid 

 type, one equivalent of oxygen being replaced by an alcohol radical, 

 and a second by binoxide of nitrogen, thus, 

 fCnHu+l 

 N< NO3 



lo 



Without attaching much value to either hypothesis, the author 

 prefers the latter, aud remarks in conclusion that there can be little 

 doubt that manv new series of organic acids may, by analogous pro- 

 cesses, be produced from inorganic acids by the replacement of one 

 or more atoms of oxygen by an alcohol radical ; in fact his pupil, 

 Mr. Hobson, is now engaged in the study of a new series containing 

 sulphur, produced by the action of zincethyle and its homologues 

 upon sulphurous acid. These acids are formed by the replacement 

 of one equivalent of oxygen, in three equivalents of sulphurous acid, 

 by an alcohol radical. 



