58 



Dr. Hofmann on the Action of Trichloride 



[Mar. 22, 



At 100° iodide of ethyl has no action on ethenyldiphenyldiamine, but 

 at about 150° the two bodies react on one another. The mixture, after 

 being heated for five or six hours, yielded, upon cooHng, beautiful crystals 

 of an iodide. By treatment with chloride of silver this iodide was converted 

 into the corresponding chloride, and then into the platinum -salt. Analysis 

 of this salt showed that the ethyl group had been once taken up. On 

 the addition of caustic soda the corresponding base was separated. It 

 is a thick oily fluid, which, when shaken with water, does not impart to it 

 the slightest alkaline reaction. By renewed treatment with iodide of ethyl 

 an iodide, it is true, was separated, but it was proved on examination that 

 the ethyl group had not been assimilated a second time. In the sense of 

 the above assumption, this nevertheless ought to have taken place. The 

 experiment was therefore repeated with iodide of methyl which is well 

 known to act much more powerfully than the ethyl-compound. This body 

 attacks the ethylated base even at 100°. The iodide thus obtained, when 

 decomposed by oxide of silver, yielded a strongly alkaline liquid, whence 



quantivalence of the residuary group again increases, the groups becoming quadri- 

 valent and quint iv a lent, and acquiring the terminations ine and inyl, &c. 

 According to this principle the following names are formed : 



Methane, (C )« Sextane, {C^ R^^f 



Ethane, (C^ Hg )° Septane, (C^ Hjo 



Propane, (C3 )« Octane , (Cg 11^^)° 



Quartane, (C^H.J*^ Nonane, (Cg H.o)" 



Quintane, {C, H^^)" Decane, (C^o H,Jo 



And further : 















Methane, (GiK^)" 



Ethane, 





Propane, 





Quartane, 





Methyl, (CH3)' 



Ethyl, 





Propyl, 



(C3H,)' 



Quartyl, 





Methene, (C H^)" 



Ethene, 





Propene, 



(C3H,)" 



Quartene, 





Methenyl^e:H )'" 



Ethenyl, 



(C,H3)"' 



Propenyl, (C3H5)'" 



Quartenyl, 



(C,H,)"' 





Ethine, 



(C,H,)- 



Propine, 





Quartine, 







Ethinyl, 





Propinyl, 



(C3 H3) ' 



Quartinyl, 











Propone, 





Quartone, 











Proponyl, 



(C3H)vii 



Quartonyl, 













Quartune, 



(C,H,)viU 













Quartunyl, 





This is not the place to develope this subject further. The short notice 1 have given 

 must suffice. A superficial examination of the system shows, however, how large a 

 number of groups of atoms may be clearly and succinctly expressed in it. 



It appeared convenient to submit the plan to a provisional test by framing some 

 of the names required for the substances which were furnished by the above expe- 

 riments. 



Bodies containing oxygen may be as simply nominated according to this plan. 



The acid derived from ethylic alcohol is ethoxylic acid (acetic acid), the first acid cor- 

 responding to ethenic alcohol would be ethoxenic acid (glycolic acid), the second being 

 ethdioxenic acid (oxalic acid). We speak of the oxylic^ oxenic, and dioxenic acids of 

 a series, of the quartane series, for instance, and any one would understand that by 

 these expressions are meant butyric, butylactic, and succinic acids. 



