128 BASIC BODIES. 



they resemble ammonia in this respect, that the combination of 

 their hydrochlorates with bichloride of platinum, are, like ammonio- 

 chloride of platinum, 'difficult of solution. Moreover, that the 

 nitrogen is not the direct cause of the basicity seems probable, 

 from the circumstance that the saturating power of the substance, 

 even when it contains several equivalents of nitrogen, for the most 

 part corresponds with only one equivalent ; so that only this one 

 equivalent is to be regarded as pertaining to the ammonia, and the 

 remainder of the nitrogen to the adjunct. 



These organic bases are divisible into two tolerably well-marked 

 groups, according as they contain or are devoid of oxygen : as the 

 former are, without exception, volatile, and the latter not so, we 

 might also class them as volatile and non-volatile bases. 



NON-OXYGENOUS ALKALOIDS. 



The bodies of this group are very similar in their empirical 

 composition to the nitriles which we have already described: in 

 their rational composition there can, however, be no similarity, as 

 they are essentially different in their chemical properties. The 

 nitriles never show any basic properties, while the alkaloids cannot 

 be decomposed into oxygen acids and ammonia either by acids or 

 by alkalies, nor with potassium do they form cyanide of potassium. 

 If, therefore, Berzelius's view, that the alkaloids are conjugated 

 ammonia, find a confirmation in any substances, it must be in the 

 non-oxygenous alkaloids, which in all their combining relations 

 present so many analogies with ammonia that we might regard it 

 as the representative of this group. Even the mode of preparing 

 certain alkaloids, as, for instance, thiosinnamine, affords evidence in 

 favour of this view of the subject. 



It is well known that, on treating cyanic acid with potash, 

 there is a development of ammonia (C 2 NO.HO + 2HO + 2KO=: 

 2KO.CO2 + H 3 N); on heating cyanate of oxide of methyl or cya- 

 nate of oxide of ethyl with potash, a strongly basic alkaloid, similar 



