COMPOUNDS CONTAINING NITROGEN. 541 



also termed oximes ; those obtained from aldehydes are designated as aldoxiine* ; 

 those derived from ketones as acetoximes, or ketoximes. 



C=N OH 

 Fulminio acid, C 2 N 2 O 2 H 2 , || , seems to be an isonitroso com- 



C=N OH 



pound. The free acid is extremely unstable, but some of its metallic salts are 

 well known, especially mercuric fulminate, which is used as an explosive in per- 

 cussion caps, etc. It is made by adding alcohol to a solution of mercury in 

 nitric acid. Silver fulminate can be obtained by a similar process. 



Ammonia derivatives. 



Several groups of organic compounds are known, which are formed 

 by replacement of hydrogen in ammonia by different radicals. Ac- 

 cording to the nature of the latter the compounds are known as 

 (tin hies, amides, or amino acids, respectively. There are, however, 

 other compounds, such as the proteins, containing nitrogen in the am- 

 monia form, which do not belong to either one of these three groups. 



Formation of amines and amides. These substances are found 

 as products of animal life (urea), of vegetable life (alkaloids), of 

 destructive distillation (aniline, pyridine), of putrefaction (ptomaines), 

 and may also be produced synthetically for instance, by the action 

 of ammonia upon the chloride or iodide of an alcohol or acid radical: 

 C 2 H 3 .I + NH 3 = HI + NH 2 C 2 H 5 . 



Ethyl iodide. Ammonia. Hydriodic Ethylamine. 

 acid. 



C 2 H 3 O.C1 -f 2NH 3 = NH 4 C1 -f NH 2 .C 2 H S O. 



Acetyl Ammonia. Ammonium Acetamide. 



chloride. chloride. 



By using in the above reaction two or three molecules of ethyl 

 iodide for one molecule of ammonia, diethyl or triethyl amine is 

 formed. 



Amines may also be formed by the action of nascent hydrogen 

 upon the cyanides of the alcohol radicals : 



CH 3 CN + 4H = NH 2 .C 2 H 5 . 

 Methyl cyanide. Ethyl amine. 



They are also formed by the action of nascent hydrogen upon 

 nitro-compounds ; the manufacture of aniline depends on this de- 

 composition : 



C 6 H 5 N0 2 + 6H = 2H 2 + NH 2 C 6 H 5 . 

 Nitro-benzene. Hydrogen. Water. Phenylamine, 



or aniline. 



Occurrence of organic bases in nature. The various organic 

 basic substances found in nature are either amines or amides. But 



