Ill 



ORGANIC BASES. 



OROANIC CHEMISTRY. 



112 



EtbyUtrychnyl-ammonium, hyd. 01. . c n < c .i n n No .)"' J o, 

 Ethyl-nicotyl-ammoiuiiin, hyd. ox. . c n < C > H ')"'j'| J o, 



The radical! marked in the above formula) as teratomic ('") ire only 

 empirically formulated, their true construction not being known. The 

 formula of a few additional bodies have already been given as illustra- 

 : . ~ ! > h i :...::-. 



Oryaxie pltotpitorotit, artenif, and antimony bate*. It has been asserted 

 that the great characteristic of organic bases is the presence of nitrogen. 

 The statement must, however, be received with a certain amount of 

 qualification, inasmuch as many true organic bases have been obtained 

 containing no nitrogen. Their constitution and chemical deportment, 

 nevertheless, show that these bases are strict analogues of the nitrogen 

 baion as those hitherto described are sometimes distinctively called 

 and that they are, in fact, amines and ammoniums in which nitrogen is 

 replaced by phosphorus, or arsenic, or antimony. The remarks already 

 made respecting the nomenclature of the derivatives of Nil, and 

 NH.OHO apply equally to those of the compounds under considera- 

 tion, the analogues of KH, being of course photphina, arsinei, or 

 stibina; and those of NH 4 , pkotphoniunu, artoniitnu, or itiboniumi. 

 They are sometimes considered as derived from PH a , AsH s , and SbH, 

 respectively ; while the analogues of the hypothetical body NH, are as 

 frequently spoken of as derivatives of the still more hypothetical bodies 

 PH., AsH tf and SbH 4 . 



The phosphorous, arsenic, and antimony bases are at present limited 

 to the analogues of the tertiary monamiues and ammoniums, no pri- 

 mary or secondary phosphines, arsines, or stibines having yet been 

 produced, nor any analogues of diamines, triamines, or tetmmmes. 



The best process for producing the phosphorous, arsenic, and antimony 

 bases, consists in treating the metallic compounds of the alcohol radicals 

 with the iodides, bromides, or chlorides of phosphorus, arsenic, and 

 antimony, respectively; the triphosphines, triarsines, and tristibines 

 thus produced readily combine with the bromides or iodides of the 

 alcohol radicals, and form the iodides of phosphonium, arsonium, and 

 stibonium, respectively. The latter bodies may be converted into 

 hydrated oxides by the usual treatment with oxide of silver. Thus : 



S(C.H.Zn) 



/inicthji. 



pa, = 



SZnCl 



and 



and 



Tcrchlorido of Chloride of 

 phosphorus. zinc. 



(C,H a ),P 



Triethyl- 

 phosphinc. 



(C 4 H,),P 



Tricthylphnsphlnc. 



C.H.I 



Iodide of 

 ethyl. 



P(C 4 H,) 4 I 



Iodide of tetr-cthyl- 

 phosphonium. 



P(C 4 H,) 4 I 



f AgO + 

 Oxide of silver. 



HO = (C H '>*}0. 



Hyd. ox. of tetr-ethyl- 

 phosphonium. 



.C,H 3 }P 



C!H' 



The general terms of the phosphorous series are : 



Trimethylphosphinc 



Tricthylphosphine ..... C 4 H, > P 



C.H.) 



Tetrunethylphosphonium, hyd. ox. . ( C H ) * | o, 



Trimethyl-ethylphosphonium, hyd. ox. . < C t H ' c u * J o, 



Trunetbyl.*inylphosphoninm, hrd. ox. . ( C H ' c io n n p \ Oj 



Tetrcthylphosphonium, hyd. ox. . ' C ' H *' 4 n ' }o, 



Tritthyl-Tinylphosphoniam , hyd. ox. . . ( C H ' C<H > ^ ] O, 



Photphamina {R,,NSb), or diamines containing one equivalent o* 

 nitrogen replaced by phosphorus, have already been alluded to. There 



R. NP 1 

 are a few photpkanmoniunu, " ^ |0 4 , or dianimoniums containing 



one equivalent of phosphorus in tne place of one of nitrogen. The 

 following are the formulas of their hydrated oxides : 



TrlethyUthylene-phosphammoniom . ( C H M C H )" H Np \ 



H > 

 Tetrcthyl-ethylrae-phcwphammonium . ' C 4 H i)( c H 4)" n t NP | ^ 



Trimetbyl-trlethyl.ethyleiie.phospn. ) (C,H,),(C 4 H,),(C,H,)"NP \ n 

 nmmnnium f H J * 



Each of these three bodies combines with bichloride of platinum, and 

 form* a salt containing two equivalents of the Utter substance. 



The number of arsenic and antimony bases is about the same as of 

 organic phosphorous bases. As they contain decided metals, they are 

 conveniently classed with OMAJMMOBEattM BODIES ; in basic character, 

 however, they yield to none of the organic bases. 



ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. The science of chemistry is generally 

 studied under two distinct heads or divisions, namely, first the 

 chemistry of inorganic or mineral matters, and the numerous substances 

 derived from them by artificial processes ; and secondly, the chemistry 

 of compounds obtained either directly or indirectly from organised 

 beings, vegetable or animal. The first division constitutes inor- 

 ganic cJtemittri/, the second organ it chcmittry. So long as the peculiar 

 compounds recognised as organic could be obtained only through the 

 instrumentality of that combination of conditions sometimes termed 

 vital force, the above division of the science was quite definite and 

 philosophical, but as early as the year 1828, Wohler succeeded in 

 producing artificially the substance urea, a body which had up to that 

 time been known only as a product of the animal organism. This 

 discovery was followed many years later by the artificial formation of 

 acetic acid, from exposing a mixture of protochloride of carbon, water, 

 and chlorine to sunlight, and the reduction of the chloracetic acid 

 thus obtained into acetic acid by an amalgam of potassium. The 

 subsequent production of methyl from acetic acid added one of the 

 organic radicals to the list of compounds obtainable from their elements 

 without vital action. Although little further progress was made for 

 several years in this department of chemical research, yet the artificial 

 production of urea and acetic acid, together with their derivatives, 

 completely broke down the barrier between so-called still organic and 

 inorganic bodies ; the name organic was retained for the class of bodies 

 to which it had previously been assigned, although now obviously no 

 longer strictly applicable. 



Whilst the term organic cltemittry is thus deprived of its original 

 meaning, it would still be difficult to devise a more convenient name 

 for that portion of the science which treats of compounds that are 

 ordinarily though not invariably derived from organised beings, hence 

 the continuance of its use to the present day. 



Clastification of organic compounds. The number of compounds 

 included within the domain of organic chemistry has of late 

 become so vast, owing to the laborious researches of numerous chemists, 

 as to render some system of classification almost absolutely necessary 

 to enable the mind to grasp a branch of knowledge embracing such an 

 infinite number of experimentally demonstrated facts. 



Whilst on the one hand, it cannot be said that organic chemistry is 

 not yet sufficiently developed to admit of satisfactory generalisations, 

 on the other, it is evident that in a science which is yearly making 

 such rapid progress, any system of classification, however satisfactory 

 when first proposed, can scarcely be expected long to fulfil all the con- 

 ditions demanded of it. Hence it would not be difficult to advance 

 objections against the excellent system recently submitted by M. 

 Gerhardt a system which, notwithstanding all drawbacks, is generally 

 admitted to be by far the best hitherto proposed. It has therefore 

 been adopted as far as possible in the chemical articles of this 

 Cyclopaedia. 



The essential portion of Gerhardt's system may be explained in very 

 few words. 



All organic compounds which have been sufficiently studied are 

 arranged around a certain number of centres or pivots chosen from 

 amongst the two homologous series of acids, beginning respectively with 

 formic acid and benzoic acid. The two great divisions thus created are 

 termed tectiom, and the families arranged about the centres are named 

 teritt. Thus we get the following arrangement : 



Fnurr SECTIOK. 

 Formic series. 

 Acetic series. 

 Propionic scries. 

 Butyric series. 

 Valeric series. 

 Ctprolo series. 

 CEnanthylio scries. 

 Caprylic series. 

 Pclargonic scries, 

 Caprlc or Rutic scries. 

 Laurie scries. 

 Hyristic series. 

 Palmitic series. 

 Stearic series. 

 Cerotlc series. 

 Mcllsslc scries. 



SECOND SECTIOR. 

 Benzoic scries. 

 Toluic series. 

 Xylic series. 

 Cuminio series. 

 Cymenic series. 



Each series is subdivided into groupi : the benzoic series for instance 

 consists of eight groups. [BENZOIC SERIES.] Under each group will 

 generally be found described or mentioned every individual member 

 belonging to that group, thus under BENZOIC GROUP, one of the groups 

 of the Benzoic series, a large number of compounds more or less 

 intimately connected with each other, and with benzoic acid, will be 

 found described. 



Constitution of organic compound*. One of the most difficult, but at 

 the same time most interesting and important problems which present 

 themselves to the chemist, is the internal arrangement or constitution 

 of organic compounds. A child may so far investigate a watch for 



