250 On a very singular Sulphuretted Nitrogenous Compound. 



forming a brown solution, which on being heated became almost 

 black in appearance ; and this on the addition of water gave a 

 ilocculent dark brown precipitate resembling the original sub- 

 stance, except in its being of a darker colour. 



Strong nitric acid, even at the ordinary temperature, was 

 found to act rapidly on the substance, which it oxidizes and dis- 

 solves ; but neither it nor sulphuric acid in a diluted condition 

 appears to exercise any effect on it ; for when boiled for some 

 time with them no apparent change was observed to take place. 

 As to hydrochloric acid, even when in a tolerably concentrated 

 condition it seemed not to produce any effect on the substanee 

 either at the ordinary temperature or when boiled with it. 



The compound, some of the properties of which have just been 

 noticed, on being submitted to analysis gave results which agree 

 most closely with the formula C 18 H 24 S 13 N 4 6 , showing that 

 the substance is an extremely complex one, the formation of 

 which, under the circumstances described, may be explained by 

 supposing the following reaction to take place : — 



9 (C 2 HCP 0, H 2 0) + 16 [(NH 4 ) 2 S] + 2H 2 S = C 18 H 24 S l3 N 4 6 



+ 27(NH 4 C1)+NH 3 + 5S + 12H 2 0, 



where 9 equivalents of chloral hydrate, being acted on by the 

 conjoint action of 16 of sulphide of ammonium and 2 of hydro- 

 sulphuric acid, give rise to the formation of 1 equivalent of the 

 brown compound, together with 27 of chloride of ammonium, 

 1 of ammonia, 5 of sulphur, and 12 of water, 9 of which latter 

 exist already as constituents of the chloral hydrate; and the pro- 

 bability that such changes do take place appears to be strength- 

 ened by the fact that chloride of ammonium, ammonia, and free 

 sulphur were detected amongst the products of the reaction ; and 

 the presence of a trace of chloroform may be easily accounted 

 for by the action of the free ammonia on a portion of the un- 

 changed chloral hydrate. 



I may observe that those results as to the composition of the 

 brown compound were obtained as follows : — The carbon and 

 hydrogen were determined by combustion with chromate of lead, 

 using a long combustion-tube and placing a layer of copper 

 turnings in its anterior part; the nitrogen by burning with 

 soda-lime, and estimating the resulting ammonia by means of the 

 chloride of platinum; the sulphur by converting it into sul- 

 phuric acid, which was effected by treating the substance with 

 nitric acid and chlorate of potash (as recommended lately by 

 Pearson for the determination of sulphur in organic compounds), 

 and then estimating the sulphuric acid so produced in the usual 

 way by chloride of barium; and lastly the oxygen was deter- 

 mined by difference after the estimation of the other constituents. 



