288 BACTERIAL POISONS. 



of to effect a separation from these bases. It is but slightly 

 soluble in sodium carbonate. 



Adenine can be heated to 278° without melting ; at this 

 temperature it becomes slightly yellow, and yields a white 

 sublimate. It can be completely volatilized without decom- 

 position, by heating on an oil-bath to 220° ; the sublimate 

 consists of pure, white, plumose needles of adenine, but at 

 250° partial decomposition occurs, and some hydrocyanic 

 acid forms. When heated with potassium hydrate to 200° 

 on an oil-bath, it yields a considerable quantity of potas- 

 sium cyanide. Adenine is quite indifferent to the action of 

 acids, alkalies, and even oxidizing agents. Thus, it may be 

 boiled for hours with baryta, potash, or hydrochloric acid, 

 without suffering decomposition. But when heated with 

 dilute hydrochloric acid, or concentrated hydr iodic acid, 

 in a sealed tube at a temperature exceeding 100°, adenine 

 is completely decomposed, with formation of carbonic acid 

 and ammonia : 



C5H5N5 + 5H2O + 60 = 5CO2 + 5NH3. 



The free base, as well as benzoyl-adenine, is unaffected by 

 the weak oxidizing action of potassium permanganate, but 

 on stronger oxidation it is wholly destroyed. Bromine water 

 produces in aqueous solutions of adenine an oily precipitate, 

 which, on contact with potassium hydrate or ammonia, gives 

 a beautiful red or violet color. Sodium amalgam and zinc 

 chloride appear to have no action ; but on boiling with zinc 

 and hydrochloric acid it yields a very unstable reduction- 

 product, which in the presence of oxygen first assumes a red 

 color, and finally throws down a reddish-brown precipitate. 

 This brown substance appears to be identical with azulmic 

 acid, which has been known for a long time as a product of 

 the polymerization of hydrocyanic acid. 



When adenine is evaporated on the water-bath with dilute 

 or fuming nitric acid, it gives a white residue which fails to 

 give any coloration with sodium, ammonium, or barium 

 hydrate. Similarly, it does not give the so-called Weidel's 

 reaction (murexide test) on evaporation with chlorine water 

 and exposure of the residue to an ammoniacal atmosphere. 



