MOLECULAR CONSTITUTION OF THE ORGANIC BASES. 
369 
Percentage. 
I ^ 
I. II. III. 
Mercury .... 59'01 
Chlorine .... 25*11 25*00 
The only expression into which these numbers may be translated is the formula 
C 4 
C 4 H 5 
Cl, 5Hg Cl, 
C 4 H 5 J 
which requires the following values 
— 
Theory. 
Mean of Experiment 
1 equiv. of Tetrethylammonium . 
. 130 
15*49 
6 equivs. of Chlorine . . 
. 213 
25*20 
25*05 
5 equivs. of Mercury . . 
. 500 
59*31 
59*01 
1 equiv. of Mercury- salt . 
. 
. 843 
100*00 
This somewhat peculiar composition, though chloride of mercury is known to join 
other compounds in rather unusual proportions, induced me to prepare an analogous 
iodine-compound, which on analysis was found to have a corresponding formula. 
b. Iodine-Compound . — This substance was prepared in two different ways. Protio- 
dide of mercury, when boiled with a solution of iodide of tetrethylammonium, loses 
at once its red colour, and is converted into a yellow compound, which fuses and 
collects as a transparent layer at the bottom of the vessel. On cooling it solidifies 
to a brittle mass, with crystalline fracture (I.). The same substance is obtained by 
adding a large excess of protochloride of mercury to a solution of iodide of tetrethyl- 
aminonium. A whitish crystalline precipitate is produced, which consists of a mix- 
ture of the double salt just mentioned, with a large amount of the corresponding 
chlorine-compound*. By boiling with water the latter is removed, the former remain- 
ing behind (II.). 
I. 0*7305 grin, of salt gave 0*7402 grm. of iodide of silver. 
II. 0*8258 grm. of salt gave 0*8270 grm. of iodide of silver. 
Percentage. 
< 
I. 
Iodine 54*34 
II. 
53*99 
The formula 
C4 h; 
C4H5 
C4 H5 
C4H5 
VN I, 5HgI 
* 6 equivs. of iodide of tetrethylammonium and 30 equivs. of protochloride of mercury, contain the elements 
of 1 equiv. of the iodide of mercury double salt and of 5 equivs. of the chloride of mercury compound. 
