Lapper and Bell — On the Distillation of Saccha rates. 177 



Pyrrol is obtained in almost theoretical quantity ; and if ammonium 

 saccharate could be conveniently prepared, it would undoubtedly be 

 the best source of the base. 



With this equation we may contrast the action of heat upon 

 ammonium mucate, by which not only pyrrol, but also carlopyrrola- 

 inide, is formed — 



C6Hio08(NH3)o = CiHiI^CCONH.) + CO. + 5HoO. 



The amide, by boiling with baryta-water, is easily converted into 

 carhopyrrolic acid; and this acid when heated splits up into pyrrol 

 and carbonic anhydride — 



C.H^IS'CCOOH) - C4H5N + CO.. 



Since ethylamine acts upon mucic acid differently from ammonia, 

 we have also studied the action of heat upon ethylammonium saccha- 

 rate. 



To obtain this salt, and to avoid the tedious preparation of free 

 saccharic acid, we took equivalent weights of acid ammonium saccha- 

 rate and diethyloxamide. The first was converted into neutral salt, 

 and to its concentrated aqueous solution, carefully freed from excess 

 of ammonia, we added the neutral sulphate of ethylia prepared from 

 the diethyloxamide. The mixture was evaporated to dryness in vacuo 

 at a gentle heat, and the residue exhausted with absolute alcohol, 

 which extracts only ethylammonium saccharate. After evaporating 

 the alcohol, the salt remained as a syrupy mass, which showed little 

 tendency to crystallize. It was therefore at once distilled. 



Ethylammonium saccharate decomposes with intumescence at 

 ubout 120° C, exhibiting the same appearances as the ammonia salt, 

 except that no crystals are formed in the neck of the retort. The 

 watery liquid which collects in the receiver contains only ethylam- 

 monium carbonate, and the oily layer consists of nearly pure ethyl- 

 pyrrol in almost theoretical amount. The equation — 



C'8Hio08(NH2C2H5)2 = C4H4]S"(C3Ha) + 2C0, + NH3C2H5 + 4H.0, 



Tej)resents the decomposition. A most careful examination failed to 

 detect any other substance either in the distillate or in the residue. 

 The latter was exceedingly small. 



Ethylammonium mucate, on the other hand, breaks up by heat in 

 the following ways : — 



(1). CeHioOsCNH^C^Hs), = CiH,N(C2H5) + 200. + NH2C0H5 + 4HoO ; 



(2). CeHioOgCNH^CaHs)^ - GiR.M'^^^o)GO^^G2^, + COo + SH^O, 



and by the action of nascent ethylamine from reaction (1), 



(3;. C6Hio08(NHAH5)2 + NH2C2H5 = CH^NCCoHa) (CONHCoHa)^ 

 + 6H2O. 



