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



273 



the first, ethylic mustard- oil- would yield ethylamine and sulphoxide of 

 carbon. 



C CS 5 } N + H a° =Ca H } N + CS0 - 



The action of the second would transform the rather unstable sulphoxide 

 of carbon into carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen. 



CSO + H 2 0=C 2 + H 2 S. 



The decomposition remains essentially the same if, instead of water, hy- 

 drochloric acid be employed. The reaction, however, is very considerably 

 accelerated ; in fact an hour's digestion at 100° is sufficient to split up the 

 mustard-oil right off into ethylamine, carbonic acid, and sulphuretted hy- 

 drogen. 



Action of Water and Hydrochloric Acid upon Sulphocyanide of Ethyl. 



Water, even at rather high temperatures, acts but very slowly upon sulpho- 

 cyanide of ethyl. Even at 200°, after several days' digestion, very appre- 

 ciable quantities of the compound had remained unaltered. The reaction, 

 as might have been expected, proceeds much more rapidly in the presence 

 of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The ultimate products of transforma- 

 tion are sulphuretted hydrogen, sulphide of ethyl, carbonic acid, and am- 

 monia. Here, again, we have by no means to deal with direct products of 

 decomposition. Probably the compound, with the cooperation of one mo- 

 lecule of water, changes in the first place into ethyl-mercaptan and cyanic 

 acid. 



°C N 5 } S + H * = ° 2 H } S + ° H N °* 

 Under the influence of a second molecule of water, cyanic acid yields am- 

 monia and. carbonic acid. 



CHNO + H 2 0=E 3 N + C0 2 . 



Sulphide of ethyl and sulphuretted hydrogen, lastly, have to be looked 

 upon as products of transformation of ethylic mercaptan. 



2[ ^}s]=g : | : }s + H a S. 



Action of Water and Hydrochloric Acid upon Allylic Mustard-oil. 

 Whilst engaged with these researches, I have incidentally made also 

 some experiments upon the mustard-oil par excellence. As might have 

 been expected, when submitted to the action of water at a high tempera- 

 ture, and more especially in the presence of hydrochloric acid, allylic mus- 

 tard-oil splits up into allylamme, carbonic acid, and sulphuretted hydrogen. 



C C S 5 } N + 2H 2 0=: ° 3 H } N + C 2 + H 2 S. 



Simultaneously, however, another reaction takes place, which up to the 

 present moment I have not yet been able to elucidate. Together with 



