166 Mr. Schorlemruer on the Hydrocarbons [April 6, 



series of the radicals, although he observed some differences in their 

 physical properties. 



The chemical behaviour of the radicals has been very imperfectly studied, 

 all experiments having failed which were carried out with the view of ob- 

 taining from a radical either the alcohol from which it was derived, or the 

 corresponding acid ; whilst, by the action of chlorine, only substitution-pro- 

 ducts had been formed, in which 2 or 4 atoms of hydrogen are replaced by 

 chlorine. 



The action of chlorine upon the hydrides had also been studied. Dumas 

 showed that by acting upon marsh-gas, as first substitution-product the 

 compound CH 3 Cl was formed. Berthelot proved that this body was 

 chloride of methyl, by converting it into methyl-alcohol and other methyl- 

 compounds. 



From hydride of ethyl Frankland and Kolbe obtained the compound 

 C 2 H. Cl, which, however, appeared to them not to be identical, but only 

 isomeric with chloride of ethyl. During the last few years, however, our 

 knowledge of the hydrides has become much more complete. Pelouze and 

 Cahours discovered the whole series, from hydride of butyl upwards, in the 

 American petroleum ; Greville Williams proved the existence of hydride of 

 amyl in the oils from Boghead coal, from which he inferred that the 

 hydrocarbons formerly described as radicals were really hydrides ; and I 

 found the same hydrocarbons in the products of the destructive distillation 

 of Cannel-coal. From these researches it appears that the reaction by 

 which Berthelot had obtained methyl-compounds from marsh-gas is a 

 general one, and that from each hydride the corresponding chloride, the 

 alcohol, and all their derivatives can be prepared. 



Whilst pursuing the investigation of the hydrides, I was struck by their 

 close resemblance to the isomeric terms of the radical series, and I 

 thought it might be possible that the opinion held by Laurent and Ger- 

 hardt was, after all, the correct one, and that the so-called radicals belonged 

 really to the marsh-gas hydrocarbons. 



Moreover Wurtz, by acting on zinc-ethyl with iodide of ally], had 



/"I TT I 



obtained the mixed radical ethyl-allyl, p 2 I =C 5 H JO , which has not only 



*^3 **! I 



the composition, but all the characteristic properties of amylene, and 

 Beilstein and Rieth had effected the synthesis of propylene and amylene 

 by the action of zinc-ethyl upon chloroform. 



Might not the synthesis of the alcohol radicals be a synthesis of the 

 same kind ? Or, if hydrides and radicals are really different, what is this 

 difference? In order to solve this question I endeavoured to try if I 

 could replace in a radical hydrocarbon 1 atom of hydrogen by chlorine, in 

 order to compare these products and their derivatives with the chlorides 

 and other derivatives obtained from the hydrides. 



As a starting-point I selected the mixed radical ethyl-amyl, because this 

 hydrocarbon may easily be obtained in sufficient quantity, and because I 



