MM. Lauth and Grimaux on Chloride of Benzyle. 509 



precipitate. Indeed it was found that one aspirator was insuffi- 

 cient; and accordingly another aspirator and series of Woulfe's 

 bottles were fitted on to the funnel, so that the current divided 

 into two parts. It was thus possible to collect 100 grammes of 

 the silver compound in twelve hours. It was found to have all 

 the properties described by Berthelot. A series of experiments 

 by Rieth showed that it was the ethylene gas to which the for- 

 mation of acetylene was mainly due. 



If a flask holding about 200 or 300 cub. centims. beheld over 

 such a prepared lamp for a short time, and as much concentrated 

 solution of subchloride of copper be added as moistens the whole 

 inside of the flask, it becomes at once sufficiently dark brown to 

 be opake. 



Wurtz has applied Fittig's reaction to the preparation of 

 methylallyle*, having found that it is formed in very small 

 quantities by the action of zincmethvle on iodide of allyle : — 



A mixture of iodide of methyle, G H 3 1, and iodide of allyle, 

 G 3 H 5 I, with twice the volume of dry ether, was heated with 

 sodium in a closed tube. When the action was over, the tube 

 was carefully opened and the gases which it contained were con- 

 densed in a tube placed in a freezing-mixture. The resultant, 

 treated with bromine, yielded a bromide of butylene, G 4 H 8 Br 2 , 

 which is readily decomposed by sodium with the formation of a 

 body which has the same composition as butylene, though pro- 

 bably it is only isomeric, seeing that it boils at a point lower 

 than that assigned to butylene. 



The product obtained by distilling toluene in a current of 

 chlorine, and known as chlorinated toluole, G 7 H 7 CI, is, as Can- 

 nizzaro discovered, identical with the hydrochloric ether of ben- 

 zylic alcohol, G 7 H 7 O. Lauth and Grimaux have investigated 

 this substance f 3 and have described a method for its preparation 

 by which about 90 per cent, of the toluole used is obtained with- 

 out much difficulty. 



When this chloride of benzyle is heated with dilute nitric acid, 

 it is converted into hydride of benzoyle, G 7 H 6 0, 



C 7 H 7 C1 + 2N0 3 H = H 2 + C 7 H 6 + HC1 + N 2 4 , 



Chloride of Hydride of 



benzyle. benzoyle. 



a considerable quantity of benzoic acid being formed at the 

 same time, owing to the further oxidation of the hydride of ben- 

 zoyle. This reaction would furnish an industrial process for the 



* Comptes Rendus, vol. lxiv. p. 1088. 

 t Ibid. vol. lxiii. p. 918. 



