HYDRIDE  OF  AMYLE. 
421 
contact  "with  moisture,  it  is  decomposed  :  the  zinc  takes  the  oxy- 
gen and  the  radical  the  hydrogen  from  an  equivalent  of  water. 
One  of  the  methods  of  analysing  it  is  indeed  founded  on  this 
character  :  thus  in  the  case  of  the  amyle  compound  the  action  is 
as  follows  :— 
(Oio  HH)  4-  Zn  )        (  Cio  jjil  +  H 
H  0  ]   =  1  Zn  0 
And  the  production  of  hydride  of  amyle  appears  to  be  as  here 
represented : — 
(Cio  HH  +  I) )        f  (C10  HH)  4-  H 
HOI  =  I        ZI  +  ZnO 
2Zn]  I 
Consequently,  in  distilling  after  the  compulsive  action  of  heat 
and  great  pressure,  the  hydride  comes  over,  and  there  remains  in 
the  digester  an  oxyiodide  of  zinc. 
In  preparing  the  hydride  of  amyle  the  first  step  necessary  is 
the  purification  of  the  crude  fusel  oil,  which  is  a  mixture  of 
propylic  (C6  H8  O2,)  butylic  (C8  H10  O2,)  and  amylic  alcohols 
(C10  H12  O2,)  and  of  other  alcohols  much  higher  in  the  series  ;  so 
that  the  boiling,  as  we  found,  rises  much  higher  than  even  400° 
F.  before  the  distillation  comes  to  a  close.  As  the  boiling  point 
rises  from  that  of  propylic  alcohol  (203°  F.)  to  that  of  amylic 
alcohol  (269°  F.,)  it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  hydrides  of 
the  corresponding  radicals  would  vary  in  their  boiling  points  in 
at  least  an  equal  degree  ;  and  as  the  hydride  of  amyle  has  a  boil- 
ing point  of  86°  F.,  there  can  be  little  question  that  the  boiling 
points  of  others  lower  in  the  series  would  be  so  low,  that  at  ordi- 
nary temperatures  they  would  exist  only  as  vapors.  Dr.  Frank- 
land  accordingly  found  that  the  hydride  of  ethyle  (C4  H5  +  H) 
still  remained  gaseous,  even  when  submitted  to  twenty  atmos- 
pheres of  pressure. 
A  question  here  suggests  itself  to  the  mind  ;  may  not  these 
hydrides,  existing  only  in  vapor  at  ordinary  temperatures,  be 
anaesthetics  themselves,  and  if  so,  may  their  use  as  such  be  not  an 
altogether  impractical  idea  ?* 
From  what  is  known  of  the  volatile  liquids  got  from  wood  and 
*For  instance,  may  not  their  saturated  solution  in  alcohol,  in  which  they 
are  readily  soluble,  give  a  ready  method  of  obtaining  their  use  as  anaes- 
thetics? 
