﻿c 
  

  

  108 
  

  

  H 
  fi9 
  

  

  0*4 
  

  

  N 
  7 
  

  

  c 
  

  

  24 
  

  

  H 
  36 
  

  

  U 
  12 
  

  

  

  c 
  

  

  84 
  

  

  H 
  33 
  

  

  H 
  6 
  

  

  o 
  72 
  

   o 
  6 
  

  

  N. 
  

  

  410 
  MR 
  HENRY 
  HOW 
  ON 
  MECONIC 
  ACID, 
  

  

  The 
  first 
  glance 
  at 
  the 
  above 
  formula 
  reveals 
  a 
  very 
  complex 
  atom, 
  yet 
  in 
  the 
  

   following 
  scheme 
  its 
  derivation 
  seems 
  at 
  least 
  possible. 
  Seven 
  atoms 
  of 
  ammonia 
  

   react 
  on 
  six 
  of 
  the 
  acid 
  ether, 
  

  

  6 
  atoms 
  etliylomeconic 
  acid, 
  . 
  C 
  18 
  H 
  8 
  O 
  u 
  = 
  C 
  108 
  H 
  48 
  O 
  g4 
  

  

  + 
  7 
  ... 
  ammonia, 
  ..... 
  H 
  21 
  N 
  7 
  

  

  — 
  6 
  ... 
  alcohol, 
  ..... 
  

  

  + 
  6 
  ... 
  water, 
  ..... 
  

  

  C 
  84 
  H 
  39 
  78 
  N 
  7 
  

  

  If 
  we 
  consider 
  the 
  above 
  as 
  its 
  derivation, 
  and 
  the 
  six 
  atoms 
  of 
  water 
  as 
  water 
  of 
  

   crystallisation 
  retained 
  at 
  212°, 
  the 
  acid 
  will 
  be 
  

  

  C 
  84 
  H 
  33 
  N 
  7 
  73 
  ; 
  

  

  upon 
  examining 
  this, 
  it 
  is 
  found 
  to 
  contain 
  the 
  elements 
  of 
  six 
  atoms 
  of 
  normal 
  

   amidomeconic, 
  corresponding 
  to 
  ethylomeconic 
  acid, 
  plus 
  an 
  equivalent 
  of 
  am- 
  

   monia, 
  

  

  C 
  84 
  H 
  gs 
  N 
  7 
  O 
  72 
  = 
  6(2 
  HO, 
  NH 
  2 
  C 
  u 
  HO 
  10 
  ) 
  + 
  NH 
  3 
  . 
  

  

  A 
  comparison 
  of 
  the 
  numerical 
  per-centages 
  required 
  by 
  the 
  formula 
  of 
  the 
  

   normal 
  amidomeconic 
  acid, 
  with 
  those 
  really 
  obtained, 
  is 
  here 
  given 
  to 
  shew 
  how 
  

   widely 
  they 
  differ, 
  

  

  

  Alean 
  of 
  

  

  Calculation 
  of 
  Amido- 
  

  

  

  Experiment. 
  

  

  39-62 
  

  

  meconic 
  Acid. 
  

  

  Carbon, 
  

  

  42-21 
  

  

  C 
  u 
  84 
  

  

  Hydrogen, 
  

  

  3-29 
  

  

  2-51 
  

  

  H. 
  5 
  

  

  Oxygen, 
  

  

  

  48-25 
  

  

  12 
  96 
  

  

  Nitrogen, 
  

  

  7-86 
  

  

  7-03 
  

  

  N 
  14 
  

  

  100-00 
  100-00 
  199 
  

  

  Yet 
  that 
  the 
  acid 
  in 
  question 
  is 
  really 
  an 
  amidogen 
  compound 
  resulting 
  from 
  

   meconic 
  acid, 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  inferred 
  from 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  when 
  it 
  is 
  heated 
  with 
  solution 
  

   of 
  potass, 
  ammonia 
  is 
  evolved 
  in 
  quantity, 
  and 
  the 
  fluid 
  gives, 
  with 
  hydrochloric 
  

   acid, 
  a 
  crystalline 
  precipitate 
  to 
  be 
  recognised 
  as 
  bimeconate 
  of 
  potass, 
  which, 
  

   upon 
  subsequent 
  treatment 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner, 
  furnishes 
  the 
  characteristic 
  scales 
  

   of 
  meconic 
  acid. 
  This 
  is 
  the 
  deportment 
  of 
  an 
  acid 
  amide. 
  

  

  The 
  appropriation 
  of 
  the 
  atom 
  of 
  ammonia 
  among 
  the 
  six 
  atoms 
  of 
  amido- 
  

   meconic 
  acid, 
  if, 
  indeed, 
  this 
  be 
  the 
  constitution 
  of 
  the 
  compound 
  acid 
  produced, 
  

   seems 
  to 
  have 
  much 
  diminished 
  the 
  basicity 
  of 
  the 
  complex 
  atom, 
  or 
  else 
  the 
  yel- 
  

   low 
  salt 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  neutral 
  one 
  : 
  the 
  amidomeconic 
  acid 
  being 
  bibasic, 
  six 
  of 
  its 
  

   atoms 
  should, 
  in 
  forming 
  a 
  neutral 
  salt, 
  take 
  up 
  twelve 
  equivalents 
  of 
  ammonia, 
  

   but 
  a 
  considerably 
  less 
  amount 
  is 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  yellow 
  ammonia 
  salt 
  : 
  this 
  is 
  

  

  