230 



alkali, and repeatedly crystallized from weak spirit. It is difficult 

 to obtain it perfectly white, a yellowish substance, which appears to 

 be partly formed during the process of solution, adhering with great 

 pertinacity. 



Thus obtained, the new base is a white crystalline powder ; fre- 

 quently it is obtained in minute scales, generally of a yellowish tint. 

 It is insoluble in water, but readily dissolves in alcohol and ether. 

 From the hot solution in these solvents it is precipitated by water as 

 a yellow oil, solidifying on cooling with crystalline structure. It is 

 easily dissolved by acids, with many of which it forms crystalline 

 compounds. From the saline solutions thus produced the base is 

 reprecipitated by potassa and also by ammonia. The salts of the 

 new base are not very stable ; their solutions, especially when heated 

 for some time, inevitably contain more or less aniline, the crystalline 

 base itself undergoing changes which I have not yet sufficiently 

 examined. 



The analysis of the new compound presents some difficulty. 

 Even after protracted exposure over sulphuric acid in the exsiccator, 

 it retains a small quantity of water, while a temperature of 100 is 

 apt to decompose it. 



The nature of the body was, however, readily established by the 

 examination of a perfectly stable hydrochlorate, and also of a very 

 definite platinum -salt. 



The results obtained in the analysis of these salts establish for the 

 new base the formula 



It is obviously formed by the substitution of the triatomic molecule 

 (C 2 H)'" for 3 equivalents of hydrogen in 2 molecules of aniline, 

 which thus coalesce into a diamine molecule. Accordingly the base 

 might be called diphenyl-formyl-diamine, that is, diammonia, in 

 which 2 equivalents of hydrogen are replaced by 2 molecules of 

 phenyl, and 3 equivalents of hydrogen by 1 molecule of formyl, 

 1 equivalent of hydrogen remaining unreplaced. Its formation is 

 expressed by the equation 



4(C 12 H 7 N) + C 2 HC1 3 =C 26 H 12 N 2 HC1 + 2(C 12 H 7 N t HC1) 



Phenylamine Terchloride Hydrochlorate of Hydrochlorate of 



aniline. of formyl diphenyl-forinyl- phenylamine. 



(chloroform). diamine. 



