306 Dr. Schunck on some Products 



II. 0*1664 grm. gave 0*3720 grm. carbonic acid and 0*0780 

 grm. water. 



0*5590 grm. gave 49 cc. of moist nitrogen at 7° C. and 

 759*2 millims. pressure, equivalent to 47*25 cc. dry nitrogen 

 at 0° C. and 760 millims. pressure, or 0*0591 grm. 



These numbers correspond with the formula C ]4 H 7 NQ 4 , 

 which is that of anthranilic acid, as the following comparison 

 of the composition with that required by theory will show : — 



Calculation. ^xperiment. 



C u 84 6i # 3i 61*19 6C97 



H 7 7 5-10 5 - 3i 5*20 



N 14 10-21 10*13 10*58 



°4 32 23"33 23*37 23'25 



137 IOO'OO IOO'OO IOO'OO 



Since under ordinary circumstances this acid can only be 

 obtained by the long- continued action of boiling concentrated 

 alkaline lye on indigo-blue, its formation in this process, 

 in which only a small quantity of caustic soda dissolved in a 

 large quantity of alcohol was employed, is remarkable. There 

 can be little doubt that its formation in this case is connected 

 in some way with that of the other substances, and could not 

 be effected by the mere action of a dilute alcoholic solution of 

 caustic alkali on indigo-blue. 



The experiments just described suggest a few general re- 

 marks on this process and the products to which it gives rise. 



1 . Though I have no doubt that the products, of the proper- 

 ties and composition of which I have just given an account, are 

 distinct chemical compounds, still it might be objected that 

 some of them were not free from an admixture of products 

 of decomposition derived from alcohol alone, the action of 

 caustic alkali on alcohol being a process not very well under- 

 stood. In order to satisfy myself on this point, I took an 

 alcoholic solution of caustic soda, boiled it for some time, and 

 then evaporated it in contact with the air. The solution 

 became brown ; and on adding water and an excess of acid, 

 after evaporation of the alcohol, I obtained a brown nocculent 

 precipitate, which, being filtered off and washed, was dissolved 

 in alcohol. The solution left, on evaporation, a dark brown 

 resinous residue, which I found to be quite insoluble in ether. 

 That portion of the products obtained in this process which 

 was insoluble in water and ether, but easily soluble in alcohol 

 and alkalies, was therefore certain to contain some of this resi- 

 nous matter; and I therefore laid the whole of it aside, and 

 gave up all further examination of it. It is certainly true 

 that by the action of alkali on alcohol in closed vessels a totally 



