﻿176 Prof. J. A. Wanklyn on the Compounds of 



understood that the methods which have answered in the in- 

 stances already known are not likely to answer in the present 

 case. Kakodyle was obtained from chloride of kakodyle by 

 driving out kakodyle by means of zinc. Supposing, however, 

 that I had got the chloride of ethylene-sodium, what metal could 

 I expect to be capable of driving out ethylene-sodium ? 



Zincethyle was obtained by the distillation of the double zinc- 

 compound of iodine and ethyle, when, as is well-known, zinc- 

 ethyle distils over. The non-volatility of ethylene-sodium is a 

 bar to the establishment of a parallel process. 



The only hope which I have at present of isolating the new 

 radical is the hope of finding it among the products of the de- 

 structive distillation of the double compound of sodium-ethyle 

 and zinc-ethyle, not, however, in the distillate, but in the resi- 

 due, along with the finely divided zinc and sodium which results 

 from the destructive distillation in question. 



With respect to the chemical constitution of ethylene-sodium, 

 there are two modes of representation which will commend 

 themselves to the chemical mind, viz. : — 



((C 2 H 4 )"Na% and ((C 2 H 4 )" Na'")'. 



Against the first, and in favour of the second formula (that 

 to which I have given the preference) may be urged the fact 

 that sodium appears to be a trivalent metal ; and also that the 

 first method of representation would necessitate the assumption 

 that in the hydrated oxide there existed oxygen not in direct union 

 with sodium, whilst the second formula represents the sodium as 

 directly combined with oxygen. Another reason for giving the 

 preference to the second formula will be mentioned on a future 

 occasion. 



In support of the statement that sodium is a tri-valent metal, 

 a statement which will be looked upon as a chemical heresy 

 in certain quarters, I would bring forward the cases of the 

 double zinc-sodium-ethyle and of sodium-triacetyle. 



The analysis of the first of these compounds led to the em- 

 pirical formula (NaC 2 H 5 + Zn(C 2 H 5 ) 2 )*, as will be seen on 

 reference to my paper on the subject. It will also be remem- 

 bered that I. altogether failed to effect a separation between the 

 sodium-ethyle and the zinc-ethyle. The real constitution of the 

 compound is : — 



Na'"— C 2 ip 



|\ 



C 2 H 5 



Zn"— C 2 II 5 

 * Na=23, Zn=65. 



