298 



now contains two organic bases one in the shape of a crystalline 

 precipitate, which I propose to call glycosine, and the other in 

 solution, to which in this paper the name of glyoxaline will be 

 applied. Besides these two substances, only a little formic acid and 

 the excess of ammonia can be recognized in the liquid. 



Gly cosine =C 6 H 6 N 4 . The crystals contained in the ammoniacal 

 liquid are collected on a filter and washed with cold water. By 

 dissolving them in diluted hydrochloric acid, treating with charcoal 

 and adding ammonia to the decolorized solution, the glycosine is 

 obtained as a colourless, crystalline precipitate. The crystals are 

 little prisms, tasteless, inodorous, and only soluble in a great quan- 

 tity of boiling water. They become very electric when rubbed in a 

 mortar. A little glycosine placed between two watch-glasses and 

 heated on a sand-bath, sublimes without leaving a residue, and pro- 

 duces magnificent prismatic needles, sometimes of half an inch in 

 length. It forms salts with acids, which generally crystallize well. 

 The chloride has a great tendency to form double salts with the 

 chlorides of copper, mercury, and platinum. 



Chloroplatinate, C 6 H 6 N 4 + 2(HClPtCl a ), forms a fine yellow 

 crystalline powder, soluble with difficulty in water. An excess of 

 water seems to abstract bichloride of platinum and hydrochloric 

 acid. Glycosine is formed from ammonia and glyoxal according to 

 the equation 



JJ(C a H 2 OJ+4N H,=C, H 6 N 4 + 6H 2 O 



Glyoxal. Glycosine. Water. 



I showed on another occasion, that glyoxal has the properties of 

 an aldehyde. Its behaviour towards ammonia confirms my former 

 conclusions. The formation of amarine, from oil of bitter almonds, 

 of acetonine from acetone and ammonia, takes place in a similar 



manner : 



3(C 7 H 6 O) + 2NH 3 = C 21 H 18 N 2 + 3H 2 O 



Amarine. 

 3(C 3 H 6 O) + 2NH 3 =C 9 H 18 N 2 + 3H 2 O 



Acetonine. 



In all other known cases, when from an aldehyde or the chloride 

 of an alcohol radical and ammonia, a basic substance is formed, 

 one or two equivalents of ammonia participate in the reaction. 



