420 
HYDRIDE   OF  AMYLE. 
these,  after  being  exposed  to  the  usual  heat  with  a  charge  for 
more  than  an  hour,  burst  into  innumerable  fragments  with  a  tre- 
mendous explosion,  breaking  the  thermometer  and  blowing  out 
the  sides  of  the  bath,  whose  scalding  contents  were  scattered 
about  in  all  directions,  but  fortunately  without  doing  any  personal 
injury.  This  occurrence  proved  the  necessity  of  adopting  another 
plan,  and  we  therefore  thought  of  a  copper  tube,  which  idea, 
however,  was  nearly  put  aside,  under  the  fear  of  a  strong  galvanic 
action  being  induced,  and  interfering  with  the  desired  action ; 
but,  on  reflection,  such  a  result  seemed  to  be  of  a  favorable  na- 
ture rather  than  otherwise,  and  we  have  now  found  that  a  copper 
tube  answers  admirably — and,  in  fact,  part  of  what  we  made  for 
Dr.  Simpson  was  prepared  in  one. 
A  key  to  the  explanation  of  the  formation  of  the  hydride  of 
amyle  is  found  in  the  tendency  of  the  radical  amyle  to  combine, 
not  only  with  electro-negative,  but  also  electro-positive  elements. 
Thus  there  are  not  only  compounds  like  the  following  :  — 
Electro-negative 
Amyle.  elements. 
(Cio  nil)         4.  0 
but  also- 
CioHH)  +  CI 
'C10  Hii)  +  Br 
>G10  HH)  +  I  ; 
Electro-positive 
elements. 
(Cio  HH)  +  Zn 
(Cio  HU)         4-  H 
Dr.  Franldand  succeeded  in  preparing  both  zinc  methyle,  zinc 
ethyle,  and  zinc  amyle.  These  have  all  an  intense  attraction  for 
oxygen.  In  the  case  of  zinc  methyle,  it  equals  potassium  in 
that  respect ;  a  small  glass  tube,  containing  only  a  few  drops  of 
the  liquid  zinc  methyle,  actually  became  red-hot  on  being  placed 
under  water,  from  the  great  intensity  of  the  chemical  action. 
The  zinc  ethyle  is  a  liquid  of  1.18  density,  boiling  at  118°  C. 
or  2440  F.,  and  having  a  vapor  density  of  4.25. 
All  these  metallo-organic  bodies  have  such  an  attraction  for 
oxygen  that  the  most  extraordinary  precautions  are  necessary  in 
preparing  and  distilling  them,  both  to  get  quit  of  every  trace  of 
water,  and  to  exclude  the  presence  of  air  by  replacing  it  either 
with  an  atmosphere  of  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  or  carbonic  acid. 
The  moment  one  of  these  metallo-organic  compounds  comes  in 
