365 



A similar experiment with anhydrous succinic acid would produce 

 succinate of baryta and a homologue of carbonic acid, the existence 

 of which is also indicated by other considerations. It is premature 

 to dwell upon this point ; but in this direction also I have made 

 some experiments. 



II. " Notice of Researches on the Sulphocyanide and Cyanate 

 of Naphtyl, conducted by VINCENT HALL, Esq." By A. W. 

 HOFMANN, Ph.D., F.R.S. &c. Received August 10, 1858. 



The transformation of phenylcarbamide and phenylsulphocarba- 

 mide under the influence of anhydrous phosphoric acid, respectively 

 into cyanate and sulphocyanide of phenyl, an account of which I 

 submitted to the Society several months ago, suggested the proba- 

 bility that the hitherto unknown cyanates and sulphocyanides of 

 radicals similar to phenyl might be obtained by analogous processes. 



To establish this point experimentally, Mr. Vincent Hall has 

 examined, in my laboratory, the deportment of some of the deriva- 

 tives of naphtylamine under the influence of agents capable of 

 fixing ammonia and its analogues. 



Mr. Hall has found that the crude naphtaline, such as it is ob- 

 tained from the gas-works, submitted at once, without sublimation, 

 to the action, first of fuming nitric acid, and subsequently of acetic 

 acid and metallic iron, furnishes the naphtylamine sufficiently pure 

 for these experiments. The crude product thus obtained was 

 digested with bisulphide of carbon in order to convert it into naph- 

 tylsulphocarbamide. 



By distilling naphtylsulphocarbamide with anhydrous phosphoric 

 acid, Mr. Hall has obtained a beautiful crystalline compound of a 

 faint but peculiar odour, readily fusible, easily soluble in alcohol 

 and ether, insoluble in water. 



The analysis of this compound has led to the formula 



C 22 H 7 NS 2 =C 20 H 7 ,C 2 NS 2 , 



showing that it is in fact sulphocyanide of naphtyl, formed accord- 

 ing to the equation : 



(C 20 H 7 ) 2 I N *= C a 7 } N + C 20 H 7 , C a NS 2 . 

 H 2 J M *J 



