G. M. Wetherill on Compound Ammonium Amalgams. 



Art. LY.— On the existence of the {so-called) compound Ammo- 

 nium Amalgams; bj the late Charles M. AYethekill, 

 Ph.D., M.D. 



The discoverer of methjlamine did not succeed in forming 

 a rninpound analogous to the ammonium amalgam, whether bj 

 action of methyl ammonium chlorid with potassium 

 iiL. or by the influence of the galvanic current. This 

 Client, with negative results of Wurtz, is quoted in nearly 

 :l.e descriptions of the compound ammoniums, 

 a series of experiments (this Journal, II, vol. xl, Sept., 

 l^'lo) upon the formation and nature of the ammonium amal- 

 gam, by which it was demonstrated that this body is merely a 

 metallic froth, I succeeded in forming the so-called amalgam of 

 metliyl ammonium. This body was found to be of a nature 

 ■ " 'ally similar to that of the ammonium amalgam. l)i;t of 

 "-cscence. The salt used was the metlivl aDunoniun; ox- 

 inch was compared in this reaction with the ammonium 

 . MM. Pfeil and LeflPman (this Journal, II, vol. xlii, 

 - :'.|,eated these experiments and confirmed the results, em- 

 t|''y!ng the tri-methyl ammonium chlorid. They also extended 

 tlie reaction with sodium amalgam to the chlorohydratcs of 

 amhne, coniine, morphine and quinine and to the^acetate of 

 rosaniline ; but without forming amalgams, hydrogen gas being 

 evolved copiously without swelling. 



qift ^^^clolt (VI supplement, Annalen der CL u. Pharm., p. 

 ^*o, " Ueber das ammonium amalgam ") states in a foot-note, 

 that he had repeated the expemnent with tri-methylamine 

 cjlorid and sodium amalgam, and found "that the turgescence 

 ot the mercury takes place only when the preparation contains 

 ammonmm chlorid; the pure compound gives no amalgam. 



ims rendered necessary a repetition of mv experiment upon 

 be compound ammonium amalgam, as I had not mvself tested 

 ^Qe salts employed with respect to their purity. The ilM'uicr 

 ^experiments were performed with a pure methyl ammonium 

 oxalate, for which I am indebted to the kindness of U. C.ircy 

 h? 1^-' "^^^ gave me some prepared by his new mcthnd. 

 p. sle ^^^^ described by him in this Journal, vol. xAxin. 

 5 *]^e present experiments I prepared a fresh portion of the 

 einyi ammonium oxalate by Lea's process, viz : by the action 

 P acp^^r ^^'^^^ia upon methyl nitrate. The two liquids were 

 Z ./'^side m a stoppered bottle for ten days, by which time 

 oiL? ^^ ^ad disappeared. The distillate of this liquid over 

 evan P^tassa was exactly neutralized by oxalic acid and 

 Porated to crystallization. After removing the ammonium 



