342 MESSES. E, FEANKLAND AND B. F. DTTPPA'S 



Unfortunately these researches and discussions were, to a great extent, limited to two 

 members of this series, viz. lactic and glycolic acids, and this circumstance necessarily 

 furnished a comparatively small basis upon which to build purely theoretical specula- 

 tions. We are therefore not without hope that, with the addition of the numerous 

 members of this series described in the foregoing pages, and with the light thrown 

 upon them by their synthetical production, we have reached a new stage in the inquiry, 

 whence a more extensive prospect may be obtained. 



Before proceeding to take a survey of the new field thus opened up, it is necessary 

 first to call special attention to a negative or chlorous organic radical intimately con- 

 nected with the compounds above described. 



The Radical Oxatyl. 



An inspection of the above and following formulae for acids of the lactic series shows 

 that, through all the changes of the lactic acid type giving rise to the various species of 

 acids mentioned below, the group C O Ho remains unaltered. We have also shown 

 that the same group maintains its individuality unimpaired throughout the acetic and 

 acrylic series of acids ; in fact it is the presence of this group which impresses upon an 

 organic compound the acid character. We believe, therefore, that its claims to be con- 

 sidered a compound radical are at least equal to those of any other group of elements 

 to which that term has been applied.. 



We propose for this radical the name oxatyl* — a word recalling at the same time its 

 acidifying power, and its connexion with oxalic acid, which is the isolated molecule of 

 this radical, 



COHo 



.CO Ho' 



Oxalic acid. 



We have, in fact, experimentally proved above, that when ethylic oxalate is acted upon 

 by nascent amyl, it is converted into ethylic caproate. 



fCOEto , fCBuHj ^ 2J 

 ICOEto ICBuH, I 



CBuHg 



L2 ICOEto 



Ethylic oxalate. Amyl. Ethylic caproate. 



Oxatyl is closely related to cyanogen, the two radicals passing into each other in a 

 host of reactions ; hence the production of cyanides from the ammonium salts of the 

 fatty acids on the one hand, and the synthesis of acids from certain cyanogen compounds 

 on the other — a reaction first pointed out byKoLBE and FRANKLANDf, and which has of 

 late yielded such magnificent results in the hands of Maxwell Simpson J and of Kolbe 

 and Hugo Muller§. 



* Oxahjl would obviously be the most appropriate name for this radical, had it not already been applied to 

 the two compounds CO and C^O^. Whilst this paper is passing through the press we find that the radical 

 oxatyl has already been fully recognized by Btttlebow. 



t Memoirs of Chem. Soc. vol. iii. (1847) p. 386. 



J Philosophical Transactions, 1861, p. 61 ; and Journ. Chem. Soc. vol. x\iii. p. 331. 



§ Journ. Chem, Soc. vol. xvii. p. 109. 



