972 VLGETO- ALKALI ES. 



Ammonia is a true type of the organic bases in general con- 

 taining nitrogen. Morphine, quinine, and other members of 

 the class unite directly with hydrochloric acid, as ammonia does, 

 without the separation of water. An atom of water likewise 

 enters into the composition of all their salts containing an 

 oxygen acid, as in the corresponding salts of ammonia. This 

 will appear on comparing together the following formulse, in 

 which morphine C 35 H 20 NO 6 appears exactly equivalent to 

 ammonia NH 3 : 



Hydrochlorate of ammonia, NH 3 + HCL 



Hydrochlorate of morphine, C 35 H 20 NO 6 + HC1.. 



Sulphate of ammonia NH 3 + HO,SO 3 



Sulphate of morphine C 35 H 20 NO 6 4- HO,SO 3 



Urea even does not form an exception to this rule, but com- 

 bines directly with hydrochloric acid, according to the observa- 

 tion of Hagen. The hydrochlorates of the vegetable bases also 

 resemble sal ammoniac in forming a crystallizable double salt 

 with one atom of bichloride of platinum, and with two atoms 

 of chloride of mercury, the last corresponding with sal alem- 

 broth. This similarity in properties favours the idea that these 

 bases may have a constitution analogous to that of ammonia 

 or be amides of an unknown radical, as ammonia is the amide 

 of hydrogen. The amides derived from most acids are neutral 

 substances, it is true, such as oxamide, NH 2 - L C 2 O 2 , succinamide 

 NH 2 + C 4 H 2 O 2 , fumaramide, NH 2 + C 4 HO 2 and benzamide 

 NH 2 + C 14 H 5 O 2 . Urea, however, which contains two atoms of 

 aaiidogen, as it is represented by Dumas, 2NH 2 -fC 2 O 2 has a 

 basic character ; and melamine is strongly basic, which may be 

 represented as Cy 3 + 3NH 2 , as cyanuric acid is Cy 3 + O 3 (Liebig). 

 But although this view of the constitution of vegeto-alkalies is 

 not improbable it must be admitted that the radicals which are 

 thus supposed to be in combination with amidogen, in the 

 vegetable bases, have not been transferred from that to any 

 other radical, much less isolated. 



Chlorine transmitted through water containing a vegetable 

 base in suspension quickly produces hydrochloric acid, and 

 forms a hydrochlorate of the base, which is soluble in the water. 



