( 571 ) 



XXXV. — On the Products of the Destructive Distillation of Animal Matters. Part IV. 

 By Thomas Anderson, Professor of Chemistry, University of Glasgow. 



(Read 20th April 1857.) 



Owing to the great length of time over which the investigation of the pro- 

 ducts of the destructive distillation of animal substances has stretched, and 

 various circumstances which it is unnecessary to detail, the inquiry has been 

 pursued in a somewhat fragmentary manner, and with less continuity than 

 might have been desired. The difficulties attending many of the experiments, 

 and the occasional exhaustion of materials prepared by laborious processes, ex- 

 tending in many instances over considerable periods, have occasioned long inter- 

 vals in the regular course of the inquiry which it became necessary to occupy 

 with the examination of such matters as could be taken up at the moment. In 

 this way a number of facts required to complete the history of the bases already 

 described have gradually been accumulated, some of the products of their decom- 

 position examined, and the pyrrol so frequently adverted to in the previous 

 parts of this paper has been subjected to a full investigation. The details of 

 these experiments form the subject of the present communication. 



It has been already shown that the whole series of the alcohol bases, from 

 methylamine to butylamine, can be obtained from bone oil, and the probable 

 existence of amylamine in the portion boiling, about 200°, has been pointed out. 

 The quantity of base obtained at that temperature is by no means large ; but 

 enough was collected not only to prove the existence of amylamine, but to sub- 

 stantiate the fact that it was unquestionably that base, and not one of its 

 isomeres. After sufficient rectification it gave, with bichloride of platinum, an 

 extremely beautiful platinum salt, which, when the fluid was sufficiently concen- 

 trated, deposited itself after some time in fine golden yellow scales, very soluble in 

 water. The mother liquor, on evaporation, yielded another crop, agreeing with 

 the first in properties and composition. A platinum determination of each gave 

 the subjoined results : — 



I. 5-39 grains of the platinum salt gave 1815 grains of platinum. 

 II. 2 - 99 grains gave 1-010 grs. platinum. 



Experiment. 



Calculation. 





^" 



"N 



S" 





*\ 





I. 



II. 









Carbon, 



. ... 



, . , 



20-46 



C 10 



60 



Hydrogen, 





.. . 



4-77 



H i* 



14 



Nitrogen, 







4-77 



N 



14 



Chlorine, 







36-34 



C1 3 



106-5 



Platinum, 



3367 



33-77 



33-66 



Pt 



98-7 



100-00 



293-2 



VOL. XXI. PART IV. 



7p 



