SYNTHESIS OF GLYCOCINE, ETC. 9 1 



means of ammonia, according to the following reactions, the first 

 of them due to Kolbe, the second, which is earliest in point of 

 time, to Strecker : 



Chloride and Hydrate Taurine or Amide 



C a H 5 (Cl)S0 3 + H(H a N) = HC1 + C,H 5 (H 4 N)S0 3 

 C,H 5 (HO)S0 3 + H(H a N) = H a O + C,H 5 (H,N)S0 3 



(95.) Alcohol is also procurable from acetic acid by the 

 hydrogenising processes of Wurtz and Mendius, already de- 

 scribed ; while acetic acid is reprocurable from alcohol by oxi- 

 dation, as in the ordinary manufacture of vinegar. Moreover, 

 acetic acid C 2 H 4 2 , may be obtained synthetically from methyl- 

 alcohol CH 4 0, by fixation of carbonic oxide CO, according to 

 the previously mentioned general methods ; and also from di- 

 sulphide of carbon by Kolbe's historic process, referred to in my 

 last lecture. The successive stages of this, the earliest unim- 

 peachable process for obtaining an organic compound by strictly 

 mineral means, are indicated in the table before you 



Acetic Acid Synthesis 

 C S a Carbon disulphide 



C C1 4 Carbon tetrachloride 



C 2 C1 4 Tetrachlor-ethylene 



C 3 HC1 3 0, Trichlor-acetic acid 

 C,H 4 0, Acetic acid 



The disulphide of carbon, produced by the direct combination 

 of sulphur and carbon, is converted, by treatment with chlorine, 

 into tetrachloride of carbon; this, by heating to redness, into 

 tetrachlor-ethylene ; this, by the action of moist chlorine, into 

 trichlor-acetic acid ; and this, by means of nascent hydrogen, 

 into ordinary acetic acid. By arresting the hydrogenation at a 

 certain point, and treating the so formed monochlor -acetic acid 

 C 2 H 3 C10 2 , with ammonia, we obtain glycocine, whereas by 

 treating it with methylamine we obtain sarcosine, which, in com- 

 bination with urea, constitutes kreatine, a compound, however, 

 that has not yet been prepared artificially. 



