172-A.] 



HYDROGEN CYANIDE 



263 



cerasus and P. padus contain a g-lucoside 

 which yields hydrogen cyanide (Ver- 

 schaffelt, Proc. K. Akad. Wetensch. 

 Amsterdam, 5, 3 1 ; Journ. Ch. Soc. 82, 

 II, Abst. 523). 



The herb Spiraea aruncus, the herb 

 and flowers of S. sorlifolia, and the 

 leaves of S. japonica give hydrogen 

 cyanide on distillation with water 

 (Wicke, Ann. 83, 175). Amygdalin, 

 or some similar compound yielding 

 hydrogen cyanide on hydrolysis, is pre- 

 sent in the seeds of many species of 

 Vicia, and absent in others (Bruyning 

 and Van Haarst, Rec. Tr. Ch. 18, 

 468). 



Compounds containing the hydrogen 

 cyanide complex are present in the 

 flowers of peach, blackthorn, and moun- 

 tain ash, in the stem-bark and root of 

 the latter, in the stem-bark of Portugal 

 laurel, and in the root of Manihot 

 (Euphorbiacese) . 



The glucoside lotusin contained in 

 Lotus arabicus from Egypt and N. 

 Africa gives hydrogen cyanide on 

 hydrolysis or zymolysis (Dunstan and 

 Henry, Proc. Roy. Soc. 67, 224; 68, 

 374; Phil. Trans. B, 104, 515). 

 Cyanogenetic glucosides are contained 

 also in the young plants of Sorghum 

 vulgare, in ManiJiot utilissima, Linum 

 risitatissimum, Lotus anstralis, and 

 Phaseolns lunatus, the Lima bean 

 (Dunstan and Henry, Proc. Roy. Soc. 

 70, 153; Phil. Trans. 1902, A, 399; 

 ' Nature/ 68, 287; Briinnich, Trans. 

 Ch. Soc. 83, 788). 



In the animal kingdom hydrogen 

 cyanide is said to have been obtained 

 from Chilognat/ia (Myriopods). 



SYNTHETICAL PIIOCESSES. 



[A.] From carbon, hydrogen, and 

 nitrogen through acetylene [methane, 

 1; A], which combines with nitrogen 

 under the influence of the electric spark 

 (Berthelot, Comp. Rend. 67, U4 1 ; 

 Ann. 15O, 60 ; Dewar, Proc. Roy. Soc. 

 29, 188; 30, 85). Hydrogen cyanide 

 is also formed from acetylene and nitro- 

 gen or ammonia in the electric furnace 

 (Hoyermann, Ch. Zeit. 26, 70). Acetyl- 

 ene and nitric oxide when mixed and 



exploded by the electric spark give 

 hydrogen cyanide (Huntingdon, Germ. 

 Pat. 93852 of 1896; Ch. Centr. 1897, 

 2, 1166). Acetylene gives among the 

 products of its oxidation by fuming 1 

 nitric acid a crystalline compound 

 (C 6 H 4 O 3 N 4 ), which yields hydrogen 

 c} r anide on heating above J2o (Bas- 

 chieri, Atti Real. Accad. Line. [5] 0, 

 391). Acetylene when exploded with 

 oxygen in the presence of nitrogen 

 gives hydrogen cyanide (Mixter, Sill. 

 Journ. [4] 9, 5 ; 10, 299). 



Hydrogen cyanide is formed by heat- 

 ing wood charcoal with nitric, acid 

 (Burls, Evans, and Desch, Ch. News, 



68, 75)- 



Ammonia (two molecules) and nitrous 

 oxide (one molecule), when mixed and 

 passed over heated carbon, give hydro- 

 gen cyanide (Roeder and Griinwald, 

 Germ. Pat. 132909 of 1901 ; Ch. Centr. 

 1902, 2, 235). 



Cyanides or cyanamides are formed 

 by passing nitrogen, ammonia, or nitric 

 oxide and steam over the carbides of 

 the metals of the alkalis or alkaline 

 earths heated to a high temperature. 

 Calcium cyanamide is formed directly 

 from nitrogen by heating lime and 

 carbon in the electric furnace with 

 access of atmospheric air (Caro and 

 Frank, Germ. Pat. 88363 of 1895; Ber. 

 29, Ref. 816 ; Ibid. No. 92587 of 1895; 

 Ch. Centr. 1897, 2, 654; No. 95660 

 of 1896; Ch. Centr. 1898, 1, 813; No. 

 108971 of 1898; Ch. Centr. 1900,1, 

 JI20; Nos. 116087 and 116088 of 

 1898; Ch. Centr. 1900, 2, 1222; also 

 the patents of Erlwein and Frank and 

 of Bradley and Jacobs referred to 

 below). 



Potassium cyanide is formed by the 

 combination of strongly heated carbon 

 and nitrogen in presence of potassium 

 carbonate or hydroxide (Desfosses, Ann. 

 Chim. 38, 158; Journ. Pharm. 12; 

 Fownes, <Athena?um/ 1841, p. 625; 

 Journ. pr. Ch. 26, 412; Lewis Thomp- 

 son, Berz. Jahresber. 21, 80 ; Bunsen 

 and Playfair, Rep. Brit. Assoc. 1845, 

 185 ; Journ. pr. Ch. 42, 397 ; Delbriick, 

 Ann. 64, 296; Journ. pr. Ch. 41, 161; 

 Wohler, Jahresber. 1850, 550; Rieken, 

 Ann. 79, 77; Marguerite and Sour- 



