490 



ture of pure cyanate of ethyl with pure ethylic potassa or soda (that 

 is, absolute alcohol as far as possible, saturated with potassium or 

 sodium), and distilling subsequently upon a sand-bath, a strongly 

 alkaline liquid containing alcohol is obtained. Saturated with 

 hydrochloric acid, this liquid furnishes on evaporation to dryness a 

 residue from which a considerable quantity of triethylamine is ex- 

 pelled on addition of potassa. 



The analogy of the two processes, of the formation of ethylamine 

 and triethylamine, is obvious on glancing at the following equations. 



fE 

 C 2 ENO 2 + 2(KO, HO) = N j H + 2KCO 3 



1 H 

 Cyanate of ethyl. Hydrate of Ethylamine. 



E 



Hydrate of 

 potassa. 



Carbonate of 

 potassium. 



C 2 ENO 2 



Cyanate of ethyl. 



2(KO,EO) = 

 Ethylic 



E 



Triethyl- 

 amine. 



2KCO 3 



Carbonate of 

 potassium. 



There could be no doubt regarding the identity of the basic com- 

 pounds thus formed with triethylamine. The base floating on the 

 surface of the saturated aqueous solution, possessed in a marked 

 manner the characteristic odour of triethylamine. In order to ex- 

 clude the possibility of a mistake, the hydrochloric solution of the 

 compound was mixed with a solution of bichloride of platinum. 

 Only after protracted standing of the highly concentrated solution, 

 deep orange-coloured, well-formed crystals of the platinum-salt 

 were deposited, the physical characters of which were still fresh in 

 my memory. 



The determination of platinum furnished results closely agreeing 

 with the formula 



E 

 N<( E HC1, PtCL 



I have already applied this reaction in various directions, and 

 shall communicate the results which I have obtained at a future 

 period. On considering how frequently, in the action of hydrated 

 potassa upon organic substances, the hydrogen of the water of 



