Dr. Hofmann on Sulphamidobens amine. 161 



water, being deposited on cooling in white brilliant needles. This 

 compound is a well-defined organic base ; it dissolves with facility 

 in acids, and is precipitated from these solutions by the addition 

 of potassa or of ammonia. With hydrochloric acid it forms a cry- 

 stallizable salt, which yields, with dichloride of platinum, an orange- 

 yellow crystalline precipitate. 



On analysis, the new base was found to have the composition 



C 7 H 8 N 2 S, 



explaining its formation, in which evidently two phases have to be 

 distinguished : 



(1) C 7 (H 4 N0 2 )N + 3H 2 S=2H 2 + 3S + C 7 H 6 N 2 , 



(2) C 7 H 6 N 2 +H 2 S=C 7 H 8 N 2 S. 



The new sulphuretted base has the same composition as sulpho-, 

 carbonyl-phenyldiamide, a feebly basic compound which I obtained 

 some time ago by the action of ammonia on sulphocyanide of 

 phenyle*. C 7 H 5 NS + H 3 N=C 7 H 8 N 2 S. 



A superficial comparison of the properties of the two bodies shows, 

 however, that they are only isomeric, the constitution of the latter 

 compound being represented by the expression 



(CS)" 1 



(c 6 h 5 )'In 2 , 



H 3 J 



whilst the constitution of the former may be expressed by the 

 formula 



C 7 (H 4 H 2 N)S] (C 7 H 4 S)"| 



H lN= H 2 N, 



H J H 2 I 



The new sulphuretted base is closely connected with an interesting 

 compound which Chancel obtained some years ago, when he submitted 

 nitrobenzamide to the action of reducing agents. The crystalline 

 base produced in this reaction contains 



C 7 H 8 N 2 0, 



and differs from the body which forms the subject of this note only 

 by having oxygen in the place of sulphur. 



The formation of this oxygenated compound has given rise to some 

 misconceptions, which I take this opportunity to elucidate. A short 

 time before the discovery of the body in question, I had obtained a 

 compound of exactly the same composition by the action of the 

 vapour of cyanic acid upon aniline, 



C fi H 7 N + CHNO=C 7 H s N 2 0. 



The mode of producing this substance pointed it out as an ana- 

 * Phil. Mag. vol. xvii. p. 65. 



Phil. Mag. S. 4. Vol. 22. No. 145. Aug. 1861. iVl 



