202 Drs. Letts and Collie on the Salts of 



it became concentrated, and was then transferred to a desic- 

 cator and allowed to remain there till it became a mass of 

 solid very deliquescent crystals. 



A chlorine determination was made with some of these crys- 

 tals, which were dried in vacuo till constant in weight. 



I. 0*198 grm. took 11*0 cub. centims. of decinormal nitrate 



of silver solution = 19*7 per cent. CI. 



II. 0*2935 grm. took 16*1 cub. centims. of decinormal nitrate 



of silver solution = 19*4 per cent. CI. 



Found. 



Calculated for ( A , 



(C 2 H 5 ) 4 PC1. I. II. 



per cent. per cent. per cent. 



CI = 19-4 19-7 19-4. 



7 grms. of this solid chloride were heated in a small flask 

 connected with the ordinary apparatus used for collecting 

 any gases evolved. The thermometer in the liquid rose to 

 300° C. before any decomposition of the salt began. . It was 

 then raised into the neck of the flask. As the decomposition 

 continued a white powdery crystalline substance condensed 

 in the neck of the flask, and great difficulty was found in 

 preventing the exit-tube from becoming completely choked 

 by this salt ; for on attempting to melt it with a gas-flame it 

 only sublimed onto another portion of the tube. Eventually 

 the* whole of the chloride was distilled out of the flask, and 

 yielded, besides this solid distillate, 800 cub. centim. of gases. 

 This gas was completely absorbed by bromine, yielding a 

 liquid smelling like ethylene bromide and boiling between 

 130°-140° C. 



Some of the white crystals were quickly scraped out of the 

 condenser and weighed and analysed. 



0*310 grm. took 21 cub. centims. of decinormal nitrate 

 of silver solution = 22- 99 per cent. CI. 



The solution of the crystals in water was just acid to lit- 

 mus paper, and when treated with caustic-soda solution 

 gave free triethylphosphine. From the above results and 

 from the above analysis there was, therefore, no doubt that the 

 substance was the hydroehlorate of triethylphosphine which 

 contains 22*98 per cent, of chlorine, and which, when treated 

 with caustic soda, yields the free base. The decomposition 

 therefore is expressed by the equation, 



(C 2 H 5 ) 3 P<2 —- 4 = (C 2 H 5 ) 3 PHC1 + C 2 H 4 , 

 the amount of gas produced in the decomposition, namely 



