CYANOGEN COMPOUNDS. 215 



hydrogen, and sulphides. Or, to the alcoholic solution 

 of ethylamine ethylsulphocarbamate, iodine may be 

 added until the solution gives a reaction with starch ; 

 the liquid is then distilled off, and the ethyl mustard- 

 oil precipitated from the distillate by water. Diethyl- 

 amine, treated in a similar manner, also yields ethyl 

 mustard-oil. Colorless liquid, of a penetrating odor, 

 exciting to tears; specific gravity, 1.019 at 0; boiling 

 point, 133. Does not mix with water. Causes a 

 burning pain when brought in contact with the skin. 

 When heated with water to 200, or with hydrochloric 

 acid to 100, it is decomposed into ethylamine, car- 

 bonic anhydride, and sulphurretted hydrogen. With 

 nascent hydrogen (zinc and hydrochloric acid) it yields 

 ethylamine, formylsulphaldehyde (p. 102), and sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen. 



Methyl mustard-oil, CS-.KCH 3 , and Amyl mus- 

 tard-oil, CS:KC 5 H n , are prepared like the ethyl com- 

 pound, and are very similar to this. The first is solid, 

 crystalline, fuses at 34, and boils at 119 ; the latter is 

 liquid, and boils at 183-184. 



Butyl mustard-oil, CS:KC 4 H 9 , is contained in oil 

 of spoon-wort (from Cochlearia officinalis). Boiling 

 point, 159-160. 



Allyl mustard-oil, CS:KC 3 H 5 . When black mus- 

 tard-seed (from Sinapis nigrci) is freed of fatty oils as 

 thoroughly as possible by pressure, digested with water, 

 and then distilled, the potassium myronate (see Gluco- 

 sides) contained in the seed is decomposed, yielding 

 sugar, potassium bisulphite, and allyl mustard-oil, and 

 the latter distills over with the water vapors. It can 

 be prepared by the decomposition of allyl bromide or 

 iodide, by means of an alcoholic solution of potassium 

 sulphocyanate (in this point differing from the other 

 mustard-oils). Colorless liquid, of an exceedingly 

 strong odor ; specific gravity, 1.01 ; boiling point, 148 ; 

 but slightly soluble in water. Raises blisters on the 

 skin very rapidly. 



