Structure of Simpler Organic Compounds. 97 



is, that on treatment with nascent hydrogen it is reduced 

 to ethylamine 



C 2 H 5 N0 2 + 3H 2 = C 2 H 5 -NH 2 + 3H 2 



This latter substance, the chemistry of which will be dis- 

 cussed later, is known, from other methods of preparation, 

 to have a nitrogen directly united to a carbon atom. 



Amyl nitrite, boiling point 96, is used in medicine 

 on account of its characteristic action on the heart. 



Ethyl hydrogen sulphate, C 2 H 5 HSO 4 , is formed by 

 the treatment of alcohol with sulphuric acid. On treat- 

 ing this mixture, after warming, with barium carbonate, 

 the excess of sulphuric acid is precipitated as barium 

 sulphate, and barium ethyl sulphate, (C 2 H 5 S0 4 ) 2 Ba, remains 

 in solution and crystallizes out on concentration of the 

 liquid. The free acid is a very strong acid which readily 

 decomposes ; it is used chiefly in the form of its salts. 



Diethyl sulphate, (C 2 H 5 ) 2 SO 4 , can be obtained by the 

 action of ethyl iodide on silver sulphate 



2C 2 H 5 I + Ag 2 SO, = (C 2 H 5 ) 2 S0 4 + Agl 



Ethyl acetate, CH 3 CO OC 2 H 5 , may be taken as a 

 type of an important series of organic compounds, namely, 

 the esters of the organic acids. It can be prepared by 

 a variety of methods, the chief of which consists in the 

 treatment of a mixture of alcohol and acetic acid with a 

 dehydrating agent such as sulphuric acid 



CH 3 COOH + C 2 H 5 OH = H 2 + CH 3 CO OC 2 H 5 



It can also be prepared, like some of the other esters 

 above mentioned, by double decomposition between the 

 silver salt of the acid and an alkyl iodide 



CH 3 COOAg + C 2 H 5 I = Agl + CH 3 -COOC 2 H 5 



These two methods illustrate sufficiently the chemical 

 constitution of the substance. 



(1,897) 7 



