580 PROFESSOR ANDERSON ON THE PRODUCTS OF THE 



equivalents of chlorine for three of hydrogen in picoline, and which would be 

 called trichloropicoline. This view derives confirmation, from the fact, that 

 when exposed to 212°, the substance loses an equivalent of hydrochloric acid, as 

 shown by the subjoined experiment. 



f 2 815 grains heated to 212° gave 

 \ 5960 ... chloride of silver. 



TT -1 



This corresponds to 52 - 35 per cent, of chlorine, while the formula C 12 C] * \ N re- 

 quires 54-2. Although this is only a very distant approximation to the theore- 

 tical number, the discrepancy is not greater than might be expected when the 

 properties of the substance, and the fact that it is coloured brown in the water 

 bath, are taken into account. 



Actio?! of Sodium on Picoline. 



When sodium is thrown into picoline in the cold, it remains unchanged, and 

 preserves its metallic lustre ; but if the picoline be heated to its boiling point, an 

 action begins to manifest itself, brown streaks are seen to appear on the surface 

 of the sodium, and after continued boiling, the whole fluid becomes dark brown, 

 and at length nearly black and viscid. In order to examine this change more 

 minutely, picoline was introduced into a Florence flask, with a quantity of sodium, 

 which varied in different experiments from a fourth to an eighth of its weight; 

 and a long tube being fixed into the mouth of the flask, it was heated in the oil 

 bath in such a manner that the picoline cohobated freely. The action requires 

 some days for its completion, and at the end of that time the contents of the flask 

 are converted into a dark brown hard resinous mass, containing lumps of un- 

 changed sodium. The resinous matter contained sodium in some form of com- 

 bination which could not be determined ; the properties of the substance not being 

 such as to induce an extended examination. It burnt with a smoky flame, 

 leaving soda ; and, when exposed to the air showed a tendency to deliquesce, and 

 became sticky on the surface. The pieces of sodium having been carefully re- 

 moved, the resinous matter was thrown into water, and on standing it was slowly 

 converted into a thick viscid and very dark-coloured oil, much heavier than 

 water, while soda was found in the solution. The oil smelt more or less dis- 

 tinctly of picoline, according to the length of time during which the action had 

 been carried on. After having been carefully washed, so as to remove the soda, 

 and then distilled with water, picoline passed over, and there was left behind a 

 thick oily base, requiring a very high temperature for its distillation, and to which, 

 for reasons to be afterwards explained, I give the name of parapicoline. 



Parapicoline. — In the preparation of this base it was found not to be advan- 

 tageous to push the action of sodium to the extreme ; and the cohobation was 



