40 DERIVATIVES OF METHYL ALCOHOL. 



Methylamine, CHAlsTIP. Gas, of ammoniacal odor ; 

 liquid below ; water absorbs more than 1000 times 

 its volume of the gas. The solution is strongly alka 

 line, smells like ammonia, and acts on solutions of 

 metallic salts like ammonia, but does not, however, re- 

 dissolve the precipitated hydroxides of nickel, cobalt, 

 and cadmium, when added in excess. It forms neu 

 tral, easily soluble salts with acids. 



Dimethylamine, (CH 3 ) 2 HK. Inflammable gas ; li 

 quid below -f 8 a ; strongly alkaline. 



Trimethylamine, (CH 3 ) 3 ]Sr. Is formed in Chenopo- 

 dium vulvaria, in the blossoms of Crat&gus oxyacantha, 

 and several other plants; is contained in herring brine, 

 in liver oil, coal-tar oil, and bone oil. At ordinary 

 temperatures it is gaseous; below 4-9, a clear liquid, 

 of a peculiar odor somewhat resembling that of ammo 

 nia ; in water and alcohol very easily soluble. Strong 

 base. 



The compounds of methyl with phosphorus and 

 the metals bear the strongest resemblance to the cor 

 responding ethyl compounds, which will be treated of 

 later; hence, only the methyl compounds of arsenic, 

 which are better investigated than the ethyl com 

 pounds, will be here treated of. 



Arsendimethyl (Cacodyl), 



tilling dry potassium acetate with arsenious acid is 

 obtained a liquid (alkarsin), which contains cacodyl 

 together with the products of its oxidation. Treated 

 with concentrated hydrochloric acid, this liquid yields 

 cacodyl chloride, and this chloride treated with 

 zinc filings in an atmosphere of carbonic anhydride at 

 100 yields pure cacodyl, the zinc chloride having been 

 dissolved out with water. Clear liquid, of a disgust 

 ing odor ; congeals at 6 ; boils at 170 ; but slightly 

 soluble in water, easily soluble in alcohol and ether. 

 In contact with the air it gives off fumes and takes 



