144 Dr. Hofmann on a New Class of Bodies [Recess^ 



C0MMUNICA.TIONS RECEIVED SINCE THE END OF THE SESSION. 



I. On a New Class of Bodies Homologous to Hydrocyanic Acid.''^ — 

 1. By A.W.HorMANN,LL.D.,F.Il.S. Received August 20, 1867. 



The typical transformation which hydrocyanic acid undergoes when sub- 

 mitted, under appropriate circumstances, to the action of water, is capable 

 of assuming two different forms when accomplished in its homologues. 



If the hydrocyanic molecule be found to fix the elements of two mole- 

 cules of water, yielding ultimately formic acid and ammonia, it is obvious 

 that the atom group which in the homologues of hydrocyanic acid we as- 

 sume in the place of hydrogen may be eliminated when these homologues 

 are decomposed by water in conjunction either with formic acid or with 

 ammonia. To take an example : — When acting with water upon the sim- 

 plest homologue of hydrocyanic acid (upon cyanide of methyl), we may ex- 

 pect to see the methyl-group separating either in the form of methyl-formic, 

 i. e. acetic acid, or in the form of methyl-ammonia, i. e. of methylamine. 

 The difference of the two reactions and their relation to the metamorphosis 

 of hydrocyanic acid itself are exhibited by the following equations : — 



CHN 2H,0 = CH,0, -f H3N. 



Prussic acid. Formic acid. 



1. C.HgN-f 2H,0 = aH,0, + H3N. 



Cyanide of Methylformic 

 methyl a. (acetic) acid. 



2. C.HgN -f 211,0 = CH,0, + CH^N. 



Cyanide of Formic Methylamine. 



methyl /3. acid. 



The former one of these processes of transformation is familiar to che- 

 mists from the study of the hydrocyanic ethers or nitriles. The first mem- 

 ber of this remarkable group of bodies (cyanide of ethyl) was discovered by 

 Pelouze ; the general character of their transformation was subsequently 

 established by the beautiful investigations of Kolbe and Frankland on the 

 one hand, and by those of Dumas, Malaguti, and Le Blanc on the other. 



Researches in which I have been engaged daring the last few weeks have 

 proved that the second process of transformation does not less frequently 

 occur. Indeed I have found that there corresponds to each of the hydro- 

 cyanic ethers or nitriles known hitherto, a second body of precisely the 

 game composition but of absolutely different properties. These substances, 

 when changed by water, undergo the transformation which is exhibited by 

 the last one of the three above equations. 



A happy experiment has led me to the discovery of this new class of 

 bodies. In a lecture I wanted to exhibit the interesting transformation of 



