DESTRUCTIVE DISTILLATION OF ANIMAL SUBSTANCES. 225 



Ethylopicoline, or rather its oxide, is readily obtained, by agitating the aque- 

 ous solution of the iodide with moist oxide of silver, when iodide of silver is pre- 

 cipitated, and the base obtained in solution. In performing this process, heat 

 must be avoided, as oxide of silver decomposes the base at a high temperature, 

 fine violet streaks appearing in the fluid, which rapidly acquires a deep crimson 

 colour. The same change occurs, though more slowly, in the cold, especially if 

 the oxide of silver be added in large excess, and it is therefore desirable, that the 

 solution should be separated as rapidly as possible. If this be done, a colourless 

 solution is obtained, having a faint peculiar odour, and highly alkaline properties. 

 It restores the blue of reddened litmus, and gives an intense brown with turmeric ; 

 it has a powerfully caustic taste, and produces a soapy sensation when rubbed 

 between the fingers. It absorbs carbonic acid from the air, precipitates alumina, 

 and redissolves it when added in excess. From a solution of corrosive sublimate 

 it throws down the oxide, and with the metallic salts generally, it reacts in pre- 

 cisely the same manner as potash or soda. On boiling, its solution acquires a 

 deep red colour, and the odour of a volatile base becomes apparent. By evapora- 

 tion in vacuo, a hard gummy mass, with a green metallic lustre is left behind, 

 which gives a magnificent blood-red solution with water, and deliquesces when 

 exposed to the air. At first I entertained the hope that this substance, though 

 coloured, might, when submitted to analysis, give the results of ethylopicoline, a 

 very few experiments, however, sufficed to show that it had undergone decompo- 

 sition, and no attempt was made to analyse it, but attention was directed to ob- 

 taining such double salts as might serve to confirm the constitution of the base. 



Platinochloride of Ethylopicoline. — In order to obtain this salt, nitrate of silver 

 was added to the iodide as long as a precipitate was formed, which was sepa- 

 rated by filtration, and the excess of silver thrown down by hydrochloric acid. 

 The filtrate was then mixed with a strong solution of bichloride of platinum, and 

 set aside. In the course of a few hours the salt was deposited in orange-red 

 tabular crystals, of remarkable beauty, and often of considerable size. It is readily 

 soluble in cold water, and still more so in hot, and is deposited unchanged from 

 its solution. It possesses considerable stability, but by long-continued boiling, it 

 undergoes decomposition. Its analysis gave, — 



{6*015 grains of platinochloride of ethylopicoline gave 

 6*430 . . . carbonic acid, and 

 2-040 ... water. 



j" 6-825 grains of platinochloride of ethylopicoline gave 

 \ 2-031 ... platinum. 



{6-910 grains of platinochloride of ethylopicoline gave 

 2-058 ... platinum. 



C 6-970 grains of platinochloride of ethylopicoline gave 

 \ 2-085 ... platinum. 



