317 
land, viz. its extreme inflammability, its action upon water, &c., 
the author has observed that the body may be heated to 200° C. 
without decomposition. At 270° C. it begins to yield metallic zinc. 
The boiling-point of zinc-methyl lies between 50° C. and 60° C., 
but the author reserves the accurate determination until he shall be 
in possession of several ounces of the pure body. 
In one respect the author’s observations do not accord with Frank - 
land’s ; he has not been able to verify what has been advanced con- 
cerning the poisonous nature of zinc-methyl fumes.* Having per- 
formed more than a dozen distillations of the body, and having been 
much exposed to the fumes, he has not been able to mark any spe- 
cial effect upon his health. With regard to the disagreeable odour 
of the body, he has also to remark, that a mixture of zinc-methyl 
with much ether is more offensive than zinc-methyl pure, or con- 
taining only a little ether. 
The author remarks, that considerations drawm from the state of 
condensation of the so-called organo-metallic bodies, lead to the con- 
clusion that the metals are not the representatives of hydrogen. 
The formulae of equal volumes of the following bodies reduced to a 
state of vapour are adduced as examples : — 
Zinc-methyl. 
C, H, 
^2 ^3 
>Zn. 
Zinc-ethyl. 
C. H 
C 4 
2 ’ 
Distann-methy 1 . 
C 2 H,' 
c 2 h 3 
c 2 ii 3 
c 2 h 3 
Su 
2 » 
Hydride of methyl. Hydride of ethyl. 
c 2 h s 
H 
c ‘S5t 
Mercury-methyl. 
}sg 2 ; 
c 2 h 3 
c 2 h 3 
Sn 
5 ) 
5 J 
Methyl-ether. 
3 }<V 
2>) 
c 2 h 
c 2 h 3 
Mercury-ethyl. 
2 * 
c 4 h 5 
c 4 h 5 
}h S3 . 
Distann-ethyl. 
c 4 h b > 
c 4 h 5 
c 4 h 
C. H 
Ethyl-ether. 
c 4 H 4o 
C 4 
From which it appears that there is twice as much methyl in the 
standard volume of zinc-methyl vapour as there is methyl in the 
standard volume of hydride of methyl. It appears, also, that Zu 0 
in zinc-methyl represents 0 2 in methyl ether. There is no organo- 
metallic compound known in which the metal has a condensation 
corresponding to that of hydrogen. 
* Liebig’s Annalen der Chemie u Pharmacie, lxxi. p. 214. Frankland. 
VOL. IV. 2 u 
