432 
DR. E. FRANKLAND ON A NEW SERIES OF 
burns with explosion, and the presence of a small quantity of its vapour in com- 
bustible gases gives them the property of spontaneous inflammability in oxygen. 
Thrown into water, zincmethylium decomposes that liquid with explosive violence 
and with the evolution of heat and light; when this action is moderated, so as to 
prevent any great rise of temperature, the sole products of the decomposition are 
oxide of zinc and hydride of methyl, 
C2H3Znl rC2H3H 
HO J IZn O. 
The extraordinary affinity of zincmethylium for oxygen, its peculiar composition, 
and the facility with which it can be procured, cannot fail to cause its employm.ent 
for a great variety of transformations in organic compounds ; by its agency there is 
every probability that we shall be able to replace oxygen, chlorine, &c., atom for 
atom, by methyl, and thus produce entirely new series of organic compounds, and 
obtain clearer views of the rational constitution of others. I intend to pursue this 
branch of the subject whilst studying the compounds of zincmethylium and the cor- 
responding bodies containing ethyl and amyl. 
Examination of the Gas a. 
A quantity of this gas, after standing over sulphuretted water until all traces of 
iodide of methyl vapour had been absorbed, was transferred into a suitable flask for 
the determination of its specific gravity ; the following numbers were obtained : — 
Temperature of room 18° 6 C. 
Height of barometer 754*2 mm. 
Height of inner column of mercury . . . 15*2 mm. 
Weight of flask and gas 35*4161 grms. 
Temperature in balance case 19°*6C. 
Weight of flask and dry air 35*4500 grms. 
Temperature in balance case 20°*2 C. 
Capacity of flask 140*51 cubic centimetres. 
From these data the specific gravity was calculated to be *79598. 
The eudiometrical analysis of the gas gave the following results : — 
I. In Short Eudiometer. 
Observed 
volume. 
Temp. 
Difference of 
mercury level. 
Barom. 
mm 
mm 
Volume of gas used (dry) 
194*7 
18*6C. 
2*1 
754*2 
Volume after action of] 
fuming SO 3 (dry). . .J 
Volume after removal of 
1 194*8 
1 
18*7 
2*2 
753*5 
specimen for combus- 
tion (dry) J 
I' 153*8 
19*0 
22*0 
741*0 
Volume after action of] 
alcohol J 
1 82*0 
18*7 
7*0 
741*4 
Corrected vol. at 0"C. 
and 1 metre pres?. 
137*06 
137*03 
' 103*38 
53*72 
