388 M. Husemann on Sulphocarbonate of Ethylene. 



AYith bromide of ethylene the reaction scarcely required ten 

 minutes. At the bottom of the liquid a thick, heavy, oily liquid 

 was found, which was not very soluble in alcohol. This oil could 

 only be partially distilled without decomposition : when heated 

 in a current of hydrogen, a very small quantity of a yellowish 

 crystallized substance was deposited in the neck of the retort. 

 This substance was recrystallized from ether, and obtained in 

 vitreous, well-formed, white crystals, with the further investiga- 

 tion of which the author is engaged. They can be procured in 

 large quantities by the direct action of bromide of ethylene on 

 sulphocarbonate of ethylene. The great mass of the substance 

 remaining in the retort was dissolved in ether and exposed in 

 open vessels to spontaneous evaporation. Tt was thus obtained 

 in large crystals, which are combinations of a rhombic octahe- 

 dron, a rhombic prism, and a macrodome. Occasionally they 

 could be obtained 2 to 2-J inches long. The analyses agreed 

 with the formula C 6 H 4 S 6 . 



By the action of ammonia on this substance, sulphocyanide of 

 ammonia is obtained, and the mercaptan of glycol. 



Sh*} S4 + 3NHS = n {nh< + c h; 4 } s < 



Sulphocarbonate Sulphocyanide Glycol 



of ethylene. of ammonium. mercaptan. 



This glycol mercaptan decomposes with evolution of SH into a 

 white pulverulent substance, which appears to be sulphide of 

 ethylene. 



The action of fuming nitric acid on the body is very violent, 

 and gives rise to the formation of a new sulphur acid, with the 

 investigation of which the author is still engaged. 



Wertheim has published* the results of a very interesting 

 research on coniine. The base was obtained for this purpose 

 from the fresh seeds of Conium maculatum, by a method which he 

 described in Liebig's Annalen, vol. c. p. 328. When pure coniine 

 was treated with pure dry nitrous acid, the gas was absorbed 

 with considerable disengagement of heat. A certain quantity of 

 the gas could afterwards be expelled by passing dry carbonic acid 

 through the liquid, in which process the colour changed from an 

 emerald to a dark wine-yellow ; but by far the greater portion 

 remained absorbed ; and the increase in weight corresponded to 

 an absorption of one molecule of N 2 3 for one molecule of 

 coniine. When this liquid was treated with water, a quantity of 

 a bright yellow oily liquid separated on the surface of the water, 

 which was found to contain nitric acid. The oil was purified by 

 treatment with water and dilute solution of soda, and was then 



* Liebig's Annalen, August 1862. 



