5.26 



have lately proposed*. This circumstance has enabled me to submit 

 these substances, and more especially diethylamine and triethylamine, 

 to a more thorough examination than they had hitherto received. 



Reserving a detailed communication upon this subject to a future 

 occasion, I beg leave to submit to the Royal Society a short account 

 of some of the substances observed in the course of these experiments. 



Action of Chloracetic Eljier upon Triethylamine. 



A mixture of triethylamine and chloracetic ether, both carefully 

 dried, was exposed in a sealed glass tube for several hours to a tem- 

 perature of 1 00. On cooling, the mixture was found to have deposited 

 some crystals (chloride of triethylammonium), and on opening the tube 

 a small quantity[of a gas, burning with a green-edged flame, escaped. 

 Repeated experiments showed that these phenomena are due to 

 secondary reactions. The principal product of the action of chlor- 

 acetic ether upon triethylamine is the chloride of an ammonium con- 

 taining in the place of the hydrogen three equivalents of ethyl and 

 one equivalent of a complex atom consisting of the elements which 

 in chloracetic ether are united with the chlorine, 



CH 



C 2 H 5 

 -(C 2 H 2 (C 2 H 5 )0 2 



N 



a 



The nature of the reaction was fixed by the analysis of the plati- 

 num-salt of this complex metal. Addition of dichloride of platinum 

 to the aqueous solution of the product of the reaction produces a 

 rather difficultly soluble crystalline precipitate, which by several cry- 

 stallizations may be obtained in a state of perfect purity, the platinum- 

 salt of triethylammonium, which is exceedingly soluble, remaining in 

 the mother-liquor. 



* The separation of the ethyl-bases has been since repeatedly carried out. The 

 process, as described in the 'Proceedings/ admits of a slight improvement. I pro- 

 posed to separate the mixture of diethyloxamide and diethyloxamate of ethyl by 

 filtration, and to purify the former by recrystallization from boiling water, the 

 latter by exposure to a temperature of 0. The separation is simpler and more 

 perfect by submitting the mixture at once to the action of boiling water, when 

 diethyloxamide dissolves, the diethyloxamate of ethyl remaining as an insoluble 

 layer floating upon the hot solution, from which it may be separated by a tap- 

 funnel. 



