Relations behveen the Monoatomic and the Polyatomic Bases. 395 



monoatomic to that of diatomic bases, may be referred to the intro- 

 duction of a monochlorinated or a monobrominated alcohol-radical 

 into the type ammonia, the chlorine and bromine thus inserted 

 furnishing the point of attack for a second molecule of ammonia. 



If in bromide of ethylammonium — to pass from the phosphorus- 

 series to the more generally interesting nitrogen-series — we replace 

 1 equiv. of the hydrogen in ethyle by bromine, we arrive at bro- 

 mide of bromethylammonium, which fixing a second equivalent of 

 ammonia, is converted into the dibromide of ethylene-diammonium, 

 the latent bromine becoming accessible to silver-salts. 



[(C 2 H 4 Br) H 3 N] Br + H 3 N= [(C 2 H 4 )" H 6 N.J" Br 2 . 



The further elaboration of this reaction indicates two different 

 methods for the construction of the polyatomic bases of a higher 

 order. In the first place, the number of ammonia-molecules, to be 

 incorporated in the new system, may be increased by the gradually 

 advancing bromination of the radical. By the further bromination 

 of ethyle in bromide of bromethylammonium and the action of 

 ammonia on the bodies thus produced, the following salts may be 

 generated : — 



[(C a H,Br a )H,N]Br+2H,N=[(C 1 H,)'" H 9 N 3 ]'" Br 3 

 [(C 2 H 2 Br 3 )H 3 N]Br + 3H 3 N=[(C 2 H 2 )''" H 12 NJ"" Br, 

 [(C 2 H Br 4 ) H 3 N] Br + 4H 3 N= [(C 2 H )'"" H 15 N B ]'»" Br 5 

 [(C 2 Br 5 ) H 3 N] Br+5H 3 N= [(C, )""" H 18 N 6 ]""" Br 6 . 



Again, the fixation of the ammonia-molecules may be attempted, 

 not by the progressive bromination of the ethyle, but by the accumu- 

 lation of monobrominated ethyle-molecules in the ammonium-nucleus. 

 The bromide of di-bromethylammonium, when submitted to the 

 action of ammonia, would thus yield the tribromide of a triammo- 

 nium ; the bromide of tri-bromethylammonium, the tetrabromide of 

 a tetrammonium ; and lastly, the bromide of tetrabromethylammo- 

 nium, the pentabromide of a pentammonium. 



[(C 2 H 4 Br) 2 H 2 N]Br + 2H 3 N=[(C 2 H 4 ) 2 "H 8 N 3 ]"' Br a 

 [(C 2 H 4 Br), H N] Br+3H 3 N = [(C 2 H 4 ) 3 " H 10 NJ"" Br 4 

 [(C 2 H 4 Br) 4 N] Br + 4H 3 N = [(C 2 H 4 ) 4 "H 12 N 6 ]'""Br 6 . 



As yet the bromination of the alcohol-bases presents some diffi- 

 culty ; appropriately selected reactions, however, will doubtless fur- 

 nish the several brominated bases. They may probably be obtaiaed 

 by indirect processes, similar to those by which years ago I succeeded 

 in preparing the chlorinated and brominated derivatives of phenyl- 

 amine ; or these bodies may be generated by the action of penta- 

 chloride or pentabromide of phosphorus upon the oxethylated bases, 

 a process, which, to judge from the few experiments recorded in one 

 of the preceding sketches, promises a rich harvest of results. 



I have but a faint hope that I may be able to trace these new 



paths in the numerous directions which open in a variety at once 



tempting and perplexing. Inexorable experiment follows but slowly 



the flight of light-winged theory. The commencement is never- 



2 D 2 



