(56 M. a Lea on Triethylamine. 



will serve to convey to the reader an idea of the strength and 

 fullness of our aboriginal languages. Many of them seem to 

 possess even greater liexibility than those of the cultivated na- 

 tions of Europe. My own experience is confirmed by that of 

 one of the most intelligent missionaries of the West, Kev. Wm, 

 Hamilton, who has spent the greater portion of his life among the 

 lowas, and speaks their language with great fluency. In the pre- 

 face to his excellent and elaborate grammar of the Iowa tongue 

 he remarks that "the barrenness which is supposed to belong to 

 most Indian languages, does not result from the structure or na- 

 ture of the language, but from the want of ideas in those who use 

 it. So far as theij have ideas, they do not lack ivords to exprea 

 them, though the mode of expression, among them, is often as dif- 

 ferent from that in use among us, as their language is from ours. 

 Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C, May 'JOth, 1862. 



Art. VII.— On Triethylamine; by M. Carey Lea, Philadelphia. 



The triethylamine which served for the following examinations 

 was obtained, by the action of nitrate of ethyl upon ammonia, 

 making the alkaloids thus obtained react upon fresh portions 

 of the compound ether. The following was the course of ine 

 operation. - ; 



Three volumes of nitrate of ethyl with three _ volumes ot | 

 liquid ammonia, thoroughly saturated with ammoniacal gas and 

 two volumes of absolute or nearly absolute alcohol, were sealed 

 up in glass tubes and were kept in boiling water for four hours. 

 The tubes were then opened, the contents neutralized with nitric 

 acid, and evaporated over a chlorid of calcium bath. ^V hen 

 freed as far as possible from water, the pasty mass was placed m 

 a flask, with four volumes of absolute or nearly absolute alcohol 

 and a sufficient quantity of caustic soda in powder. Heat was 

 applied and the vapors disengaged were conducted into three 

 volumes of nitrate of ethyl mixed with two of absolute alcoboi, 

 kept cool by a freezing mixture. At the close of the operatiou 

 it was necessary to add a little water to the contents of the hasK 

 in order to complete the decomposition. The absorption oi 

 the distillate was complete, and the liquid thus saturated ^as 

 a^ain enclosed in sealed tubes and heated. The entire number 

 of charges was forty-two, of which five were lost by explosion. 

 For the convenience of those who may use this method ot od- 

 taining the ethyl bases, I give the results which I observed as to 

 the strength of tube necessary : 



Tubes of one inch external diameter, weighing 



5 ounces to the foot generally burst. 



6 to 7 " '' generally resisted, but not always, 

 8 to 10 " " were found safe. 



