468 Mr Jones, Note on Compounds, etc. 



dextrorotatory, and the iodide recovered from it had [a] jD = 25 , 7° 

 in alcohol. 



Hence it is clear that two iodides exist in the original product, 

 and though a partial separation only was effected by crystallisation 

 a complete separation is clearly possible by means of the camphor- 

 sulphonates. The melting points and the solubilities in alcohol 

 of the two iodides differ to a slight extent only. 



The rotatory power of chloroform solutions of these iodides 

 alters very rapidly, roughly about 10 times as rapidly as similar 

 solutions of the active nitrogen compounds described by Pope and 

 Harvey, and by the author, and the allyl compound above described 

 were found to do. Both iodides finally attained a state of equi- 

 librium with a feeble dextrorotation, about "14° for a 3 per cent, 

 solution in a 2 dcm. tube corresponding to [a]^ = 2"6°. 



The change here is undoubtedly due to the salt splitting up 

 into amine and benzyl iodide, which then reunite to form both 

 forms of the iodide in the relative quantities which are in equi- 

 librium with one another in chloroform solution, the change being 

 brought about in the same way as the racemisation of the active 

 compound already referred to. That there is a dissociation with 

 liberation of benzyl iodide is evident, because its odour is very 

 noticeable in the chloroform solutions and in the residue which 

 they leave on evaporation. 



These experiments which are merely preliminary are being 

 continued and extended. The effect of temperature on the rela- 

 tive amounts of the two isomerids produced in alcohol is very 

 slight ; the iodide formed at various temperatures from 0° C. to 

 35° C had practically the same specific rotatory power. A 

 magnetic field on the other hand was found to have a decided 

 effect; in alcohol solutions of the same concentration the iodide 

 produced without a field gave \a\ D = 4 - 3°, in a weak field [a] D = 5 - 4° 

 and in a stronger field [a] D = 7'5°. This effect is of considerable 

 interest and is being fully investigated in this particular case and 

 for a number of other reactions. 



