of Edinburgh, Session 1878-79. 
253 
2. Action of Heat on some Salts of Trimethylsulphine. By 
Professor Crum Brown and J. Adrian Blaikie, D.Sc. 
No. IV. 
I. The carbonate of trimethylsulphine is obtained by the action 
of carbonate of silver on the iodide of trimethylsulphine. The solu- 
tion of the salt may be evaporated to a syrup in the water-bath. On 
standing for some weeks over sulphuric acid in vacuo it crystallises 
out in exceedingly hygroscopic prismatic crystals, containing water 
of crystallisation, and having a strong alkaline reaction. 
Heated in the air to 100° the salt gives off water, sulphide of 
methyl, and carbonic acid. Heated in a sealed tube to 100° C. for 
about eight hours it was almost entirely decomposed, gave off a gas 
consisting entirely of carbonic acid, and yielded two layers of liquid 
— the upper, sulphide of methyl ; the lower, water and methylic 
alcohol. The decomposition is expressed by the equation — 
{(CH 3 ) 3 } 2 C0 3 + H 2 0 = 2(CH 3 ) 2 S + C0 2 + 2(CH 3 )OH . 
II. The metaphosphate of trimethylsulphine is obtained by the 
action of metaphosphate of silver on the iodide of trimethylsulphine. 
The metaphosphate of silver was made from glacial metaphosphate 
of soda (Graham’s salt) by precipitation with nitrate of silver. The 
metaphosphate of trimethylsulphine does not crystallise, but on 
evaporation leaves a colourless hygroscopic glass, containing some 
water. 
The salt, when acted upon by heat, gives off sulphide of methyl, 
and the resulting product is at the same time decomposed, leaving 
free metaphosphoric acid. On further heat being applied the mass 
slightly chars. 
III. The ferrocyanide of trimethylsulphine is obtained by the 
action of ferrocyanide of silver on the iodide of trimethylsulphine. 
On evaporation of the solution the salt crystallises out in pale-green 
transparent plates ; they are hot hygroscopic, and the salt gives all 
the reactions of an alkaline ferrocyanide. On drying over sulphuric 
acid or phosphoric acid, the crystals lose their water of crystallisa- 
tion. Analysis leads to the formula {(OH 3 ) 3 S} 8 Fe 2 Cy 12 + 18H 2 0 . 
I The salt when heated to 220° C. gives off sulphide of methyl 
along with other products, including hydrocyanic acid, but does not 
