26 M,C. Lea on Ethyl Bases. 
Nitrate of ethyl is mixed with an equal volume of strong 
alcohol. To this mixture is added a quantity of ordinary strong 
liquid ammonia equal in bulk to that of the mixture. The nitrate 
of ethyl is thereby precipitated but is nevertheless easily acted 
upon by the ammoniacal liquid. ree hours in the water bath 
at 212° is generally sufficient to complete the reaction. As the 
process goes on the nitrate of ethyl becomes brownish, gradually 
diminishes and finally disappears. The resulting solution does 
not contain salts of ammonia and ethylamine only, as has been 
Philadelphia, April 9, 1861. 
Art, VI.—On the Exact Separation of the Ethyl Bases ; by 
M. Carey Le, Philadelphia. 
It has been known for some time that when ammonia was 
acted upon by the halogen ethers, the ethylamine produced was 
always accompanied by a variable quantity of the secondary and 
tertiary ethyl bases and the ammonium base, and I have shown 
that the same is the case with respect to the secondary and ter- 
tiary ethyl bases in the reactions of oxy-ethers. The ammonium 
I have not looked for, but it is doubtless present also. The 
rimary, 8 tertiary bases resemble each other so 
closely in their properties that their separation is attended with 
great difficulty and has generally been effected by the different 
solubilities of their chloroplatinates.* I find however that it 
* Dr. Hoffman has lately described an elegant mode of separation, differing 
however, entirely from that here proposed, viz. by means of oxalic ether. 
