544 CONSIDERATION OF C A EBON COMPOUNDS. 



less extent, however, than amines, because the acid radicals have a 

 tendency to neutralize the basic properties of ammonia. 



The introduction of an acid radicle into ammonia may be accomplished by 

 one of three generally applicable methods: 



1. By heating the ammonium salt of organic acids, 



CH 3 .COONH 4 = CH 3 .CONH 2 + H 2 O. 



Acetamicle. 



2. By the action of ammonia on ethereal salts, 



CH 3 ,COOC 2 H 5 -f NH 3 CII 3 .CONH 2 + G 2 H 5 OH. 



Ethyl acetate. 



3. By the action of ammonia on acid chlorides. This reaction is most fre- 

 quently used : 



CH 3 .COC1 + NH 3 = CH 3 .CONH 2 + HC1. . 

 Acetyl chloride. 



Formamide, H.CONH 2 , is a colorless liquid, obtained by heating ethyl for- 

 mate with an alcoholic solution of ammonia. This compound is of interest 

 because it combines with chloral, forming Chloralformamide, Chloralformami- 

 dum (CMoralami.de}, H.CONH 2 .CC1 3 CHO, a substance used as a hypnotic. It 

 is a colorless, odorless, crystalline substance, having a faintly bitter taste. It 

 is soluble in about 20 parts of cold water and in 1.5 parts of alcohol. By heat- 

 ing the aqueous solution to 60 C. (140 F.) it is decomposed into chloral and 

 formamide. 



Amino-acids are acids in which hydrogen has been replaced by 

 the amino-group, NH 2 . Consequently, amino-acids bear the same 

 relation to acids that amines bear to hydrocarbons. Amino-acids 

 have both acid and basic properties i. e., they unite with bases to 

 form salts by replacement of the carboxyl hydrogen ; and they com- 

 bine with acids to form weak salts ; they also combine with other salts 

 to form double salts. 



Amino-acids may be obtained by the action of ammonia on a halo- 

 gen derivative of an acid : 



CH 2 C1.CO 2 H -f 2NH 3 = CH 2 .NH 2 .CO 2 H -f NH 4 C1. 

 Monochloracetic acid. Ammo-acetic acid. 



Amino -acetic acid, obtained as above, is also known as glycocoll 

 or glycine. It is a product of the decomposition of either glycocholic 

 or hippuric acid by hydrochloric acid. By oxidation amino-acetic 

 acid splits up thus : 



CH 2 NH 2 C0 2 H -f 30 : 2CO 2 -f NH 3 + H 2 O. 

 Amino-acids occur in the animal system, and by oxidation suffer 



