COMPOUND RADICALS. 



79 



SECTION I. 



OF COMPOUND RADICALS. 



By the term compound radical, is meant a substance which, 

 although containing two or more elements, acts precisely as a simple 

 elementary body. The following are the most important of the 

 admitted compound organic radicals, together with their chemical 

 composition expressed in symbols. 



Formula. 

 Carbonic oxide, or protoxide of carbon, - - CO. 

 Cyanogen, or bicarburet of nitrogen, - - - C^N. 

 Mellon, or sesquicarburet of nitrogen, - - C^N*. 



Benzoile, benzule, or benzyle, - - - C^^H-^O^. 

 Cinnamyl, or cinnamule, - - - - C^^H^O^. 



Salycyle, or salicule, » - - - C^^H^O^ 



Acetyl, or acetule, ------ C*H^. 



Formyl, or formule, ------ C^H. 



Amide, Nm 



Ethyl, or ethule, C^H^ 



Methyl, or methule, C^ff. 



Cetyl, or cetule, - - - - - - C^^H^^. 



Glyceryl, or glycerule, C^W, 



Amyl, or amule, - C^^H". 



Mesetyl, or mesetule, - • - - - C^H*. 

 Kacodyl, or kacodule, C*H^. 



Besides these, there are some subordinate compound radicals. 

 A few of the above radicals will be noticed now ; the others will be 

 spoken of when their compounds come under consideration. 



Amide Nff, or amidogen. This compound radical is believed to 

 be generated when ammonia is heated in contact with potassium or 

 sodium; hydrogen is liberated, and a compound formed of amyde 

 and the metal. When the amyde of potassium or sodium thus 

 generated is put into water, this liquid forms ammonia by yielding 

 up hydrogen to the amyde; and at the same time it converts the 

 potassium into potash by giving up its oxygen. According to this 

 view, ammonia is an amyde of hydrogen. Ammoniated mercury 

 (white precipitate) is a compound of amyde and the bichloride of 

 mercury. 



Carbonic oxide, CO, has already been spoken of as a compound 

 of carbon. By combining with carbonic acid, CO^ it constitutes 

 oxalic acid, C^O^. The most important compounds of this radical 

 are carbamide, oxamide, and chloroxycarbonic acid, a compound of 

 carbonic oxide and chlorine. 



Benzule or Benzyle, C^^H^O^, — the hypothetical radical of ben- 



