604 DR E. A. LETTS ON THE ACTION OF 
No. 2 Salt. 
ie 106 
Barium, . A 5 38'8 387 
Water, . ; : 79 76 
Calculated for 
(CH,SO;),Ba,H,O. 
Barium, . . ; 39°7 
Water, .. ? : 52, 
Carbon, . ; ¢ 6°9 
Hydrogen, : ‘ 2°3 
From these numbers it is evident that No. 1 is methyl-sulphite of barium. 
The analysis of No. 2 agrees with that of the previously-described barium salt — 
obtained by the action of dilute nitric acid on nitrate of dimethyl-thetine. If 
this salt be a second hydrate of methyl-sulphite of barium, it is rather remark- 
able that it should be formed in presence of such a strong dehydrating agent as 
alcohol. 
An experiment was also made with hydrobromate of diethyl-thetine. It was 
treated with strong nitric acid, and a violent action occurred. When this was 
over, the excess of nitric acid was removed by heating the solution on a water- 
bath, and the strongly acid syrup which remained was diluted with water and 
neutralised with carbonate of barium. ‘The solution of the barium salt thus 
obtained was mixed with alcohol, when a beautiful white crystalline powder 
separated. This, when analysed, gave the following numbers :— 
Calculated for 
Obtained. (C,H;SO,),Ba,H,O. * 
Barium, . ‘ : 37:0 368 
Water, ‘ . é 4°9 48 
Carbon, : F : a Ws 12°9 
Hydrogen, . : ; 32 3:0 
Action of Dilute Nitric Acid on Hydrobromate of Dimethyl-Thetine—The 
hydrobromate dissolved without any apparent action in dilute nitric acid,t but 
on very slightly warming the mixture, apparently the whole of the bromine 
contained in the salt separated out. On heating the mixture a steady action 
set in, and when this had ceased the nitric acid was evaporated off. A fuming 
acid syrup remained from which no crystalline substance separated. It did 
not smell like the product obtained by the action of the fuming acid on the 
thetine compound. WNeutralisation with baryta water showed that a consider- 
able quantity of sulphate of barium had been formed. The barium salt was 
not obtained in quantity sufficient for analysis. 
* Muspratt obtained this salt from ethyl-sulphurous acid, which he prepared by acting on 
sulphocyanate of ethyl with concentrated nitric acid, (Muspratt, ‘‘ Annalen. d. Chem. u. Pharm,” 
Ixv. 253, 254.) 
+ Equal vols. of strong nitric acid of the laboratory and water. 

