﻿AND 
  SOME 
  OF 
  ITS 
  DERIVATIVES. 
  403 
  

  

  Action 
  of 
  Heat 
  on 
  Meconate 
  of 
  Ammonia. 
  

  

  Comenamic 
  Acid. 
  — 
  Some 
  of 
  the 
  highly-coloured 
  mother 
  liquors 
  of 
  the 
  purify- 
  

   ing 
  process, 
  were 
  retained 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  boiling 
  temperature 
  for 
  some 
  hours, 
  

   ammonia 
  being 
  kept 
  present 
  in 
  excess. 
  The 
  addition 
  of 
  hydrochloric 
  acid 
  to 
  the 
  

   cooled 
  fluid 
  caused 
  copious 
  evolution 
  of 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  when 
  added 
  in 
  proper 
  

   quantity, 
  a 
  considerable 
  precipitate. 
  By 
  repeated 
  crystallisations 
  from 
  boiling 
  

   water, 
  and 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  pure 
  animal 
  charcoal, 
  the 
  precipitated 
  substance 
  was 
  

   obtained 
  in 
  colourless 
  shining 
  scales 
  ; 
  the 
  following 
  is 
  its 
  analysis 
  before 
  being 
  

   rendered 
  absolutely 
  pure 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  4 
  - 
  335 
  grains, 
  dried 
  at 
  212°, 
  gave 
  

   7"287 
  ... 
  carbonic 
  acid, 
  and 
  

   1-370 
  ... 
  water. 
  

  

  6-295 
  grains, 
  burnt 
  with 
  soda 
  lime, 
  gave 
  

   8-700 
  ... 
  ammonio-chloride 
  of 
  platinum. 
  

  

  Calculation. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  . 
  . 
  45-84 
  

  

  Hydrogen, 
  . 
  . 
  3-51 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  

  

  Nitrogen, 
  . 
  . 
  8-67 
  

  

  46-45 
  

  

  3-22 
  

  

  41-30 
  

  

  9-03 
  

  

  C 
  12 
  

  

  72 
  

  

  H 
  5 
  

  

  5 
  

  

  0, 
  

  

  64 
  

  

  N 
  

  

  14 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  155 
  

  

  The 
  results 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  sufficient 
  to 
  shew 
  this 
  body 
  to 
  have 
  the 
  composition 
  of 
  

   comenamic 
  acid 
  ; 
  the 
  characters 
  and 
  reactions 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  left 
  me 
  no 
  doubt 
  as 
  to 
  

   its 
  identity 
  with 
  that 
  derived 
  from 
  comenate 
  of 
  ammonia 
  under 
  similar 
  circum- 
  

   stances. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  formed 
  from 
  the 
  bibasic 
  meconate 
  of 
  ammonia, 
  

   in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  ammonia, 
  by 
  the 
  elimination 
  of 
  two 
  eq. 
  carbonic 
  

   acid, 
  two 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  one 
  of 
  ammonia, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  equation 
  

  

  HO, 
  2 
  NH 
  4 
  0, 
  C 
  14 
  HO 
  u 
  = 
  C 
  12 
  H 
  5 
  N0 
  8 
  + 
  NH 
  3 
  + 
  2 
  HO 
  + 
  2 
  C0 
  2 
  . 
  

  

  This 
  offers 
  a 
  convenient 
  source 
  of 
  comenamic 
  acid, 
  as 
  very 
  impure 
  meconic 
  acid 
  

   may 
  be 
  employed. 
  

  

  Action 
  of 
  Chlorine 
  on 
  Bibasic 
  Meconate 
  of 
  Ammonia. 
  

  

  A 
  current 
  of 
  chlorine 
  gas 
  passed 
  through 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  coloured 
  mother 
  liquor 
  

   of 
  the 
  above 
  salt 
  deprived 
  it 
  of 
  colour 
  considerably, 
  and 
  caused 
  a 
  speedy 
  deposit 
  

   of 
  hard 
  granular 
  crystals 
  adhering 
  to 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  vessel. 
  This 
  was 
  collected, 
  

   and 
  recrystallised 
  from 
  boiling 
  water 
  ; 
  it 
  was 
  found 
  to 
  be 
  not 
  very 
  soluble, 
  and 
  

   the 
  fluid 
  on 
  cooling 
  deposited 
  the 
  substance 
  in 
  hard 
  crystals, 
  which, 
  on 
  being 
  mag- 
  

   nified, 
  were 
  seen 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  thick 
  needles 
  radiating 
  from 
  a 
  centre. 
  It 
  contained 
  

   no 
  chlorine, 
  and 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  an 
  ammonia 
  salt 
  of 
  meconic 
  acid 
  containing 
  one 
  

   equivalent 
  of 
  alkaline 
  base. 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  aware 
  that 
  this 
  salt 
  has 
  been 
  obtained 
  

   before, 
  I 
  therefore 
  subjoin 
  an 
  analysis 
  of 
  it. 
  

  

  