M- 



430 Scientific Intelligence. 



r 



-are fixed. The passage from a volatile to a non-volatile organic base 

 may therefore be simply due to the fixation of a single equivalent of a 

 radical capable of replacing hydrofren ; and the production of volatile 

 bases by the action of caustic potash upon the fixed alkaloids, quinine, 

 morphine, caffeine, piperlne, naturally encourages the altempt to re- 

 produce the latter from the former by simple substitutions. In the next 

 place the new fixed bases lend the most powerful support lo the am- 

 monium theory of Ampere and Berzelius ; the oxyds of the new bases 

 perfectly correspond lo the hypothetical oxyd of ammonium and are 

 stable; again it has always been urged against the theory of Ampere 

 that in the formation of sal-ammoniac for instance, the hydrogen of the 

 HCl could not be reasonably supposed to leave the chlorine for which 

 it has so powerful an affinity in order to convert the ammonia NHs 

 into ammonium NH4 ; moreover in the action of lime upon sal-ammo- 

 niac we must, according to the ammonium theory, suppose that the chlo- 

 rid NHi, CI is first transformed into an oxyd NEI4, O, then this oxyd 

 is resolved into ammonia and water. Now in the action of iodid of 

 ethyl upon triethylamine N(C4H5)3 it is perfectly certain that ethyl 

 C4 H5 actually does leave iodine in order to unite with the triethylamine, 

 and the new iodid readily exchanges its iodine for oxygen when treated 

 with oxyd of silver ; finally the new oxyd when heated in solution yields 

 its ammonia N (C4 tl5)3 and its radical oxyd C4 Hs O, which is then 

 further decomposed. These two stages of decomposition are precisely 

 those which in the ammonium theory appeared most improbable. Last- 

 ly, the mode of formation of the new ammoniums and the products of 

 their decomposition by heat, demonstrate, that whatever be the arrange- 

 ment of the molecules in ammonia or its congeners, the atoms of the 

 compound rearrange themselves whenever the fourth equivalent of the 

 hydrogen or of its replacing radical joins the compound. Thus the oxyd 

 of amylotriethylammonium N(C4 Hs) 3 CioHii yields N(C4H5)2. 

 CioHii and C4 H4,not N(C4 H5)3 andCio Hio, clearly showing that 

 an equivalent of ethyl and an equivalent of amyl have exchanged places. 

 Philosophical Transactions, Part 11^ for 1851. 

 4- On Slibmelhyl and its compounds, — Landolt has studied the pro- 

 duct of the action of iodid of methyl upon an alloy of potassium and 

 antimony, and has obtained results of great interest and importance. 

 Slibmelhyl was prepared by a process precisely analogous to that al- 

 ready employed by Lowig and Schweizer in obtaining Stibethyl, 

 namely, by distilling iodid of methyl with a mixture of anlimoniuret of 

 potassium and quartz sand. It is a colorless heavy fluid, possessing a 

 peculiar odor, insoluble in water, soluble with difficulty in alcohol, but 

 readily in ether: in the air it emits thick white fumes, inflames and 

 burns with a white flame, with separation of metallic antimony. Like 

 stibethyl, slibmelhyl unites, with oxygen to form a base which satu- 

 rates two equivalents of acid, and gives compounds with S2, CI2, Br2, 

 I2, &c., all of which strongly resemble the corresponding stibethyl 

 compounds.^ When stibmethyl and iodid of methyl are brought into 

 contact a slight ebullition is noticed, and after a short time the whole 

 solidifies to a perfectly white crystalline mass; these crystals are the 

 iodid of a new radical which the author calls stibmethylium ; they are 

 represented by the formula Sb Me4 J. A similar compound Sb Eti J, 



V 



