TG 
OXIDISING AGENTS ON COMPOUNDS OF DIMETHYL-THETINE. 605 
Action of Permanganate of Potash on Dimethyl-Thetine (base).—Several 
experiments were tried on the oxidising action of permanganate of potash on 
dimethyl-thetine, both with and without the addition of sulphuric acid. The 
results appear to be the same in either case, and may be summed up as follows: 
—tThe solution of permanganate of potash is soon decolorised when added to 
the thetine solution, and whether sulphuric acid has previously been added 
or not to the mixture, a brown hydrate of manganese (hydrate of peroxide 4) 
precipitates. This gradually disappears when the mixture is boiled, if sul- 
phuric acid has been previously added, forming sulphate of manganese, but. 
remains undissolved of course when the mixture has not been acidulated. 
In the case of the mixture of permanganate, thetine, and sulphuric acid, 
much carbonic acid is evolved, in fact in several experiments the solution 
actually effervesced from the escape of the gas; sulphide of methyl, or some 
substance closely resembling it in odour, also escapes, though in small 
quantity. The solution, after the reaction is completed, appears to contain 
but a single product of oxidation, which, by its analysis and properties, 
was proved to be dimethyl-sulphone. The presence of methyl sulphurous acid, 
which appears to be always formed along with the sulphone when nitric acid is 
employed as the oxidising agent, could not be ascertained. 
The following is an outline of the methods employed in the experiments on the 
action of permanganate on the thetine. When a mixture of sulphuric acid and 
permanganate was used, excess of the latter remaining after the reaction was 
completed was removed by sulphurous acid, the solution was then filtered, if 
necessary, from hydrate of manganese, and evaporated to dryness. The residue, 
consisting of sulphates of potash and manganese, sulphone, and any other body 
that might have been formed, was treated several times with boiling alcohol to 
remove the sulphone ; and the alcoholic solution, after evaporation to dryness, 
tested for organic salts by heating on platinum. The residue which remained 
after extracting with alcohol was also tested in a similar manner. When the 
permanganate solution was employed without the addition of sulphuric acid, 
the products of the reaction were filtered, by which means hydrate of man- 
ganese was removed; the solution was then saturated with carbonic acid, 
evaporated to dryness, and treated with alcohol as just described. The 
residue was also tested for organic salts by heating a portion of it on 
platinum. 
The results of the analysis of the sulphone are as follows :— 
Calculated for 
ih II. (CH,),S0,. 
Carbon, . ; : 25°78 25°31 25°5 
Hydrogen, . : : 6°76 6°49 64 
Finally, I may mention the action of permanganate of potash on hydro- 
