362 
DR. A. W. HOFMANN’S RESEARCHES INTO THE 
Ammonium. 
Tetrethylammonium . 
c. Hj-] 
H 
.N. 
C. H, 
H 
C 4 H., [ 
HJ 
C 4 H 
:Ci6 ^20 
The new crystalline compound, according to this mode of viewing it, must be con- 
sidered as iodide of tetrethylammonium, and its formation takes place in conse- 
quence of a transposition of the elements, which is perfectly analogous to that assumed 
by the followers of the ammonium-theory, in the formation of iodide of ammonium 
from ammonia and hydriodic acid. 
1 
H [N-I- 
H J 
C, H5 N+C^ 
C4 
H I=<^ 
Ha=^ 
■ H 
H 
H 
H 
C4 H5 
C4 U, 
C4H5 
C4 H5_ 
N 
r- 
1 
J>N ll. 
I will not enter here into the merits of the ammonium-theory ; the question 
whether this mode of representing the constitution of the ammonia-salts be correct 
or not, may be left out of consideration for the present. The view I have taken of 
the new compound, and which I readily admit must stand and fall with the ammo- 
nium-theory, has the great advantage of closely assimilating these substances to the 
compounds of mineral chemistry, whereby the nomenclature is essentially facilitated. 
I will now proceed to give a sketch of the tetrethylammonium-compounds, as far 
as this is necessary, in order to convey a clear perception of the character and the 
peculiarities of this group of bodies. I reserve a detailed account of the derivatives 
of this group to a special memoir, in which I intend to give moreover a fuller de- 
scription of diethylamine and triethylamine, which were only briefly noticed in my 
former paper. 
Among the various substances derived from the new iodide, the corresponding 
oxide, the compound corresponding to oxide of ammonium, attracted my attention 
in a pre-eminent degree. 
Oxide of Tetrethylammonium. 
I have already briefly stated how this substance is prepared ; on decomposing the 
iodide with an excess of sulphate of silver, a sulphate is obtained, from which sul- 
phuric acid and excess of silver may be separated by baryta. This was in fact the 
first process by which 1 separated the base ; it is, however, difficult to obtain the 
solution in this manner free from either baryta or sulphuric acid ; nor have I ever 
