124 
DR. A. W. HOFMANN’S RESEARCHES REGARDING THE 
inquirer as soon as he steps beyond the interpretation of well-established facts, it is 
difficult to resist the temptation of indulging even now in some speculations on the 
probable deportment of these alkaloids. In a former paper* I have pointed out that 
the methods which convert the ammonia-salts into nitriles, fail to produce a similar 
effect upon the salts of aniline, while experiment has shown that these salts are capable 
of producing compounds analogous to the amides, to the amidogen-acids and to the 
imides. This result is perfectly intelligible if we conceive aniline in the light of an 
amidogen-base. In the same manner we shall probably see that the imidogen-bases, 
such as ethylaniline and diethylamine, although still capable of giving rise to the 
formation of amides and amidogen-acids, will yield no longer compounds represent- 
ing the imides of the ammonia-salts ; in the nitrile-bases, lastly, such as diethyl- 
aniline or triethylamine, we shall probably find that the faculty of yielding derivatives 
by elimination of water is either restricted to the formation of compounds corre- 
sponding to the so-called amidogen-acids, or has entirely disappeared. 
Relation of the bases derived from Aniline and Ammonia with 
OTHER GROUPS OF AlKALOIDS. 
It is impossible to leave the history of these compounds without alluding to some 
remarkable relations existing between these substances and other bodies of an analo- 
gous character, whose constitution is likely to be illustrated by this line of researches. 
The basic substances derived from aniline, when expressed in formulae excluding any 
peculiar view respecting the mode in which the elements are arranged, present a 
series which is exhibited in the following synoptical table : — 
Aniline . . . . 
Methylaniline . . 
Ethylaniline . . 
Methylethylaniline 
Diethylaniline . . 
Araylaniline 
Ethylamylaniline . 
Diamylaniline . . 
Ci 2 H; N= 
C14H9 N=Ci2H7N-h C2H2 
C'lg HnN = Ci2H7N-f 2 C 2 H 2 
CjgHi 3 N = Ci 2 H 7 N-[- 3C2H2 
C 2 oHi 5 N=C 42 H 7 N-b 4C2H2 
C 22 Hi 7 N=Ci 2 H 7 N+ 5C2H2 
C26H2iN=C,2H,N-|- 7C2H2 
^32 ^27 ^ = 0^2 H; N-j- 10 C 2 H 2 
This table shows that the alkaloids in question differ from each other by n C2 H2, 
the elementary difference of the various alcohols and their derivatives ; we perceive 
moreover that the series ascends regularly up to the term C42 H7 N -|-5 C2 H2, when the 
compound C12 H7 N-fO Cg H2 is wanting; lastly, we miss the terms C^o H7 N-|-8 H2 
and C42 H7 N- 1-9 C2 Hg. The first gap might be easily filled by submitting amylani- 
line to the action of iodide of methyl, methylamylaniline being in fact C24 H49 N 
= Ci2 H7 N-I-6C2 H2. The other wanting terms cannot be reached from aniline be- 
fore some of the missing alcohols are discovered. 
* Chem. Soc. Quart. Journ. ii. p. 331. 
