1867.] 



Homologous to Hydrocyanic Acid. 



153 



The liquid which distils at this temperature is perfectly pure cyanide of 

 amyl. It possesses all the properties which I have described in my pre- 

 vious communication, and is characterized especially by its odour and by 

 the facility with which, under the influence of hydrochloric acid, it splits 

 into formic acid and amylamine. I have not yet completely examined the 

 products boiling at a higher temperature, but everything seems to show 

 that they consist, partly at least, of capronitrile. 



The experiments which I have just described show, in a positive man- 

 ner, that the same bodies can be obtained by the action of chloroform on 

 the primary monamines, and by the treatment of cyanide of silver with the 

 alcoholic iodides. In the latter process many secondary products are ob- 

 tained ; but by a more complete study perhaps it may be modified so as 

 to diminish their quantity. 



However this may be, the study of the action of the alcoholic iodides upon 

 silver-salts deserves to be resumed ; and it is very probable that in many cases 

 it will be found that the bodies so produced will be but isomeric with those 

 obtained by the ordinary processes* 



For the special researches in which 1 am engaged at the present time, the 

 observations just described have a particular interest ; they permit us, in 

 fact, to produce the isomeric cyanides without first preparing the primary 

 monamines ; they are especially important with reference to the generation 

 of the poly cyanides. The polyamines, in fact, are little, if at all, known 

 up to the present, whilst the iodides of methylene and ethylene and iodo- 

 form are easy to procure. 



If I have not yet succeeded in preparing a dicyanide of ethylene, 

 C^H^Nj, isomeric with Mr. Maxwell Simpson's cyanide, it is because I 

 have not had at my disposal a sufficient quantity of ethylene-diamine. I 

 now hope to obtain this body by submitting cyanide of silver to the 

 action of iodide of ethylene. 



In conclusion, I may be permitted to announce as very probable the ex- 

 istence of a series of bodies isomeric with the sulphocyanides. Already 

 Mr. Cloez has shown that the action of chloride of cyanogen on ethylate of 

 potassium gives rise to the formation of an ethylic cyanate possessing pro- 

 perties absolutely different from those belonging to the cyanate discovered 

 by Mr. Wurtz. On comparing, on the other hand, the properties of the 

 methylic and ethylic sulphocyanides with those of the sulphocyanides of 

 allyl and phenyl, we can scarcely doubt that we have here the representatives 

 of two groups entirely different, and that the terms of the methylic and 

 ethylic series, which correspond to oil of mustard and to the sulphocyanide 

 of phenyl, still remain to be discovered. Experiments with which I am now 

 engaged will show whether these bodies can be obtained by the action of the 

 iodides of methyl and ethyl on sulphocyanide of silver. 



I must not conclude this note without expressing my thanks to Messrs. 

 Sell and Pinner for the hearty cooperation that they are giving me in 

 these researches. 



VOL. XVI. 



