1869.] Ethylic Mustard-oil and Sulp ho cyanide of Ethyl. 271 



On distilling the liquid, when the evolution of sulphuretted hydrogen 

 has ceased, there are evolved, together with a small quantity of the latter 

 gas, ethylic mercaptan, sulphide and, under certain conditions, even bisul- 

 phide of ethyl, these several compounds being easily recognized by their 

 special reactions. The residue, when heated with hydrate of sodium, 

 disengages abundant quantities of ammonia, and also an appreciable amount 

 of methylamine. 



If these varied results be taken into consideration, the action of nascent 

 hydrogen upon sulphocyanide of ethyl would appear to be a very compli- 

 cated process. The principal transformation of the body is nevertheless 

 extremely simple. Here, again, the point of junction of the two components 

 of sulphocyanide of ethyl is the vulnerable part. A molecule of hydrogen 

 entering at this point, between the sulphur and the carbon, the compound 

 separates into hydrocyanic acid on the one hand and ethylic mercaptan on 

 the other. 



°C N 5 } S + 11 H = H N C + ° 2 H } S ' 

 All the other products belong to secondary reactions. In contact with 

 hydrogen, hydrocyanic acid is converted into methylamine. 



CHI 



HNC + 2HH= hUn. 



H J 



Sulphide of ethyl, ammonia, marsh-gas, and sulphuretted hydrogen may 

 be looked upon as resulting from a further and deeper destruction of the 

 molecule of sulphocyanide of ethyl under the influence of hydrogen. 



2 ^*l 5 } s] + 8 H H = ^ ^ } S + 2 H 3 N + 2 H 4 C + H 2 S . 



Action of Hydrogen in condicione nascendi upon Allylic Mustard-oil. 



According to the experiments of M. Oeser already quoted, the mustard- 

 oil par excellence, when submitted to nascent hydrogen, would appear to 

 undergo a transformation different from that of its ethylic congener. M. 

 Oeser represents the metamorphosis of the allyl-compound by the follow- 

 ing equation : — 



C <3f 5 }N + 2H 2 0= C 3^ |n + H 2 S + C0 2 . 



This equation, however, obviously represents no reduction process ; the 

 nascent hydrogen has no share in this reaction, which is simply accomplished 

 under the influence of the elements of water. 



To clear up this anomaly, the experiments above described were repeated 

 in the allyl-series. On treating mustard-oil with zinc and hydrochloric 

 acid, an abundant evolution of sulphuretted hydrogen was observed, but 

 (under the conditions, at all events, in which I repeatedly performed this 

 experiment) the gas did not contain a trace of carbonic acid ; on the other 

 hand, large quantities of the sulphaidehyde of the methyl-series were inva- 



