356 Dr. Stenhouse on the Products of the [June 15, 



Water precipitates the substance unchanged. Aqueous solutions of the 

 alkalies appear to have no action on the crystals ; but when they are heated 

 with solid potash a powerful reaction takes place, with the production of 

 new compounds. 



When sulphobenzolene is digested for some time with a mixture of con- 

 centrated nitric and sulphuric acids, it dissolves, and red fumes are evolved. 

 If a large quantity of water be now added to the mixture, a copious pre- 

 cipitate is obtained, difficultly soluble in hot alcohol, from which it crys- 

 tallizes in minute needles. 



Decomposition of Sulphobenzolate of Calcium. 



When this salt was distilled in the manner described for the sodium 

 compound, it underwent a similar decomposition water and oil collecting 

 in the receiver, and carbonic and sulphurous acids being evolved. In this 

 instance, however, a very high temperature was required, and the quantity 

 of oil obtained was much smaller than from the sodium-salt, being only 

 about one-sixteenth the weight of the dry sulphobenzolate of calcium 

 employed. The crude oil, when rectified, commenced to boil at 80 C., 

 between which and 1 1 C. small quantities of water and benzol came over. 

 The boiling-point then rose rapidly to 280 C., between which temperature 

 and 300 C. about one- fifth of the original quantity of oil came over. 

 Above 300 C. the distillate obtained became almost solid on cooling, con- 

 sisting apparently of the same crystalline body of which a small quantity 

 only was obtained in the rectification of the crude oil from the sodium-salt. 



The portion distilling between 280 and 300 C., when submitted to the 

 action of sulphuric acid and acid chromate of potassium, yielded a crystal- 

 line cake, which, after washing, was dissolved in hot benzol ; on cooling, a 

 few oblique prismatic crystals of sulphobenzolene were obtained, and like- 

 wise a large quantity of the needle-formed crystals, probably held dissolved in 

 the oil previously to its being oxidized. These I am at present examining. 



Decomposition of Sulphobenzolate of Ammonium. 



This salt, which melts at about 200 C., is decomposed with great facility, 

 and at a comparatively low temperature, yielding large quantities of bisul- 

 phite of ammonium and benzol, with some undecomposed sulphobenzolate 

 of ammonium, and likewise a very small quantity of a crystalline substance 

 slightly soluble in cold water, the only residue in the retort being a little 

 carbonaceous matter. On rectifying the benzol obtained in this decom- 

 position, a small quantity of a heavy oil was obtained, having a high boiling- 

 point, and which deposited crystals on cooling. When oxidized, sulpho- 

 benzolene seems to be formed in small quantity. 



Sulphobenzolamide. 



The crystalline substance which occurs in small quantity, amounting to 

 about one and a half per cent., among the products of the destructive dis- 



