

^r::r: 



Chemistry and Physics. 43 1 



is found by mixing stibethyl with iodid of ethyl, and still a third by the 

 aciion of the iodid of methyl upon stibethyl, Sb Ets Me J. In the pres- 

 ent niemoir the author confines himself to the description of the com- 

 pounds of stibmethylium. Oxyd of stibmelhylium is readily obtained 

 by adding freshly precipitated oxyd of silver to a solution of the iodid 

 Sb Mei I, iodid of silver is formed and the oxyd of the new radical set 

 free; the solution evaporated on the air-pump over sulphuric acid, 

 yields a white crystalline mass which is a hydrate of the oxyd. This 

 hydrate exhibits the most surprising resemblance to caustic potash; it 

 gives a slippery feeling when rubbed between the fingers ; is extremely 

 caustic ; very soluble in water and alcoholj but insoluble in ether ; it at- 

 tracts carbonic acid rapidly from the air and the carbonate formed is de- 

 composed by lime water, the base being again set free. Heated in a 

 glass tube closed at one end, the oxyd gives off vapors which inflame 

 in the air, metallic antimony being set hee^ but by cautious heating the 

 base may be volatilized unchanged. In its relations to metallic salts 

 the oxyd of stibmethylium agrees perfectly with the alkalies, potash and 

 soda. The author describes further an acid and a neutral sulphate of 

 the new base, a nitrate, carbonate, iodid and chlorid ; these are all col- 

 orless, crystalline and bitter tasting suits, and are stated — though with- 

 out measurements — to be isomorphous with the corresponding potash 

 compounds. — Ann. der Ckemie and Pliarmacie^ Aprils Ixxviii, 91. 



[Note. — The extraordinary analogy which exists between the com- 

 pounds described by Landolt^ and the new ammoniums of Hofmann 

 can scarcely fail to attract the attention of the reader. The parallelism 

 between tetramethylammonium and stibmethylium appears to be com- 

 plete; the mode of formation of the two is the same; their chemical 

 relations are the same, and the products of their decomposition appear 

 also to be perfectly analogous; thus we have 



N (C2 H3)a+C2 H3 I^N (C2 Hs)^ I 

 Sb (C2 H3)3+C2 Hs IrrSb (C2 H3)i I, 



again we have in the case of the decomposition of N(C4 Hs)* by 

 heat N(CiH4)^0— N(C4 H5}3 +C4 H4-J-HO, 



and from Landolt's partial investigation it would appear highly probable 

 Hiat we have under the same circumstances 



Sb(C2 H3)4 0=Sb(C2 H3)3H-C2 H2 (?)+H0. 



The isomorphism of Sb (C2 Ha)^ with potassium would be of great 



interest if proved by careful measurements, and the formation of a new 

 series of alums in which potassium is replaced by N(C2H3)4 or Sb 

 (C2 H3)4, would be a simple and decisive test of this point. It is io 

 he clearly borne in mind that the compounds Sb(C4 H5)3 and Sb (C2 

 H3)3, stibethyl and stibmethyl, although corresponding with amrnonia 

 in/omuZa, do not do so in chemical relations, since they unite direct- 

 ly with 2 equivalents of oxygen to form basic oxyds saturating 2 

 equivalents of acid, so that we have Sb (C5 H4)3 02 andSb(C2H3)3 

 02- It is therefore so much the more worthy of notice that these 

 radicals, when combining with an additional equivalent of methyl or 

 ethyl, yield ammonium bases, and Hofmann reasoning in favor of the am- 

 monium theory receives a new support. Landolt's memoir, in several 

 particulars exhibits a want of thoroughness, and the analytical data for 



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