OIL OP WILD CHERRY BARK. 303 
in alcohol and ether. It is readily inflammable, and burns with 
a bluish flame. 
Experiment 8. — A cyanuret of benzule was obtained, by 
distilling together a mixture of chloride of benzule and 
ejT^anuret of mercury. It is a yellow coloured liquid. 
Experiment 9. — A portion of chloride of benzule was put 
in a small glass vessel, and ammoniacal gas, previously de- 
prived of moisture, passed through it. The instant that the 
volatile alkali and chloride came in contact, the latter assumed 
a white colour, and presently became nearly a solid mass, 
which, according to Liebig and Wohler, is hydrochlorate 
of ammonia and benzamide. By water, the former is dis- 
solved, and the latter isolated. The quantity obtained was 
so small as to prevent all characteristics (as ascertained by its 
discoverers) from being carried out, except two, viz., that it is 
soluble in boiling water, and that by boiling with potassa 
ammonia is evolved, and benzoate of potassa is obtained by 
evaporation. 
Benzamide differs from benzoate of ammonia only in contain- 
ing one atom less of hydrogen ; for it is evident that during the 
action of ammonia on chloride of benzule, that one equivalent 
of hydrogen, either of the benzule or ammonia, is necessary 
for the conversion of the chlorine of the chloride into hydro- 
chloric acid, in order to form hydrochlorate of ammonia. It 
may, therefore, be called either a compound of benzule with 
dinituret of hydrogen, or of ammonia with a compound of 
carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, differing from benzule in 
containing one atom less of hydrogen. 
Its discoverers say that benzamide bears the same relation 
to the benzoate of ammonia, as oxamide does to oxalate of 
the same alkali; because the addition of one equivalent of 
water converts it into benzoate of ammonia. 
Oxamide is formed by the decomposition of the oxalate of 
ammonia by heat, but benzamide cannot be thus generated, 
because benzoate of ammonia is a volatile salt. 
That the deleterious properties of the wild cherry oil are 
due to hydrocyanic acid is evident, because the purified oil 
