Royal Society. 569 



ing the constitution of the volalile organic bases. He showed that 

 in all these substances the original structure of ammonia may be 

 traced without difficulty, and that they must be viewed as ammonia 

 in which either one, two, or the three equivalents of hydrogen are 

 replaced by a corresponding number of compound molecules ; he 

 accordingly distinguished tlie volatile bases as amidogen, iraidogen, 

 and nitrile bases. ■•' "'"i^ 



H ;>N H ;>N X Vn X U 



HJ Hj HJ YJ 



-,i^ . Ammonia. Amidogen Imidogen Nitrile bases. 



•^'-■' "' bases. 



In Ins present memoir he goes a step further, and communicates 

 the discovery of a new group of alkaloids, closely connected by 

 their origin and composition with tlie former class, but differing 

 from It altogether by their properties. These new alkaloids are no 

 longer volatile without decomposition, and form in this manner the 

 connecting link between the artificial bases, nearly all of which are 

 volatile, and the natural alkaloids, the majority of which are of a 

 fixed nature. 



The alkaloids of the new class, to which for the sake of convene 

 ence the author assigns the term of ammonium bases, arise from 

 the nitrile bases by the assimilation of the additional equivalent of 

 one of the replacing molecules in conjunction with oxygen and water. 



X In+zo, ho= ^ Ino, ho. 



zj 



In his memoir the author establishes the conditions under which 

 this transformation takes place, viz. the action of the alcohol iodides 

 on nitrde bases, and he developes the generality of his observations 

 by the description of about a dozen of new alkaloids prepared ac- 

 cording to his method ; he points out moreover that \he number 

 which may be actually produced is nearly unlimited. 



The new substances which are formed under the above conditions, 



are endowed. with very remarkable properties. The alkaloid which 



18 formed by the union of four ethyl equivalents with nitrogen, 



oxygen and water, the substance in which y=X=Y=Z = C^n. i e 



C4Hn 



^;JjHno,ho, 



C, H J 

 is thus described by the author. 



It is of a powerfully alkaline reaction, which manifests itself, not 

 only in its deportment with vegetable colours, but also in its com- 

 bining their pungent taste witii the bitterness of quinine. The so- 

 lution, when concentrated, not only burns the tongue, but it acts 

 strongly upon the epidermis, which it destroys, like caustic potassa 

 or soda; on rubbing a solution of the oxide between the lingers, we 

 feel the well-known sensation produced by th<; fixed alkalies under 

 the same circumstances, and we perceive moreover the same iieculiar 



Phil. Mag, S. 4. No. 7. {iuppl Vol. 1 . 2 Q 



