270 



Dr. Hofmann on Transformations of [Feb. 4, 



liydrochloric acid and mixed with perchloride of platinum, the well-known 

 liexagonal tables of the ethylamine-platinum-salt were at once deposited. 

 The mother-liquor was found to contain a second salt, much more soluble 

 both in water and alcohol, which was precipitated by ether. By recrys- 

 tallization it was obtained in magnificent orange-red needles, which on ana- 

 lysis exhibited the composition of the platinum-salt of methyl-ethylamme. 



The interpretation of these observations presents no difficulty. There 

 are obviously two parallel reactions to be distinguished. In the first place 

 (and this is doubtless the principal reaction) there are two molecules of hy- 

 drogen inserted at the place in which the two compounds of ethylic mus- 

 tard-oil are joined together — this insertion giving rise to the formation, on 

 the one hand, of ethylamine, the mother-compound of the mustard-oil, and 

 on the other hand, of methylic sulph aldehyde, the hydrogen-derivative of 

 bisulphide of carbon. 



°CS 5 } N + 211 11 = } N + CH 2 S - 

 Or the substance, under the powerful influence of hydrogen, splits in an- 

 other place ; three molecules of hydrogen penetrate into the fragment of 

 the bisulphide, and the products of this secondary and subordinate trans- 

 formation are methyl-ethylamine and sulphuretted hydrogen. 



C CS 5 } N +3HH=C 2 H'|n + H 2 S. 



Action of Hydrogen in condicione nascendi on Snip ho cyanide of Ethyl. 

 On treating the isomeric sulphocyanide of ethyl with zinc and hydro- 

 chloric acid, sulphuretted hydrogen is also evolved ; it contains, however, 

 so abundant an admixture of mercaptan, that the brown spot of sulphide 

 of lead appearing upon lead-paper held over the mouth of the flask in 

 which the reaction takes place is surrounded by a yellow ring of mercaptide 

 of lead. 



In order to examine the gases evolved, they were passed in the first 

 place through lime-water, then through hydrate of sodium, and lastly 

 through acetate of lead and perchloride of mercury ; ultimately they were 

 collected in a gas-holder. The lime-water remained clear ; hence the 

 gases did not contain carbonic acid ; the liquid, however, was saturated 

 with hydrocyanic acid. By the hydrate of sodium large quantities of sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen and ethyl-mercaptan were fixed; the two metallic 

 salts, lastly, retained some ethylic mercaptan and ethylic sulphide. The 

 gas collected in the gas-holder was transmitted once more through lime- 

 water and sodic hydrate, and then passed over a layer of incandescent oxide 

 of copper. Together with water, large quantities of carbonic acid were 

 thus produced, proving that the hydrogen contained a carbonated gas, which 

 I do not hesitate to consider marsh-gas, although verification of this as- 

 sumption, by transformation of the hydrocarbon into tetrachloride, has still 

 to be adduced. 



