The third general method of producing organic bases is by the decomposition of nitrogenous substances ; the agents used being destructive distillation, boiling with caustic potash, and, in a few cases, oxidation ; other agents, also, are used in a few special cases.
The destructive distillation of coal furnishes pyridine (N picoline (N Inadine (N ; coludine (N ; leueoline (N (C„11,)"') ; lepidine (N C,„H„)"') ; and crypadine (N (C„H„)"'). Methylamine, ethylamine, propylamine, butylamine, amylamine, pyridine, picoline, lutidine, and collidine are contained in Dippers oil, a tarry matter obtained on destructively distilling bones. Beans also, on the application of heat furnish a base named fabine. Caustic potash converts the cyanates of methyl, ethyl, amyl, allyI, and phenyl into methylamine, ethylamine, amylamine, allylamine, and phenylamine respectively. The compound ureas, whose formulae will presently be given, suffer a similar splitting up by heating with potash, ammonia being formed in addition to the bodies just mentioned. Soda-lime converts cenanthyl-aldehyd (C„H„0,) into tricaproylwrane (N Baryta converts ereatin into sarcosine Brucine is converted by nitric acid into cacotheline Finally, many of the organic bases already noticed, are formed during the putrefaction and fermentation of organic bodies.
The organic bases whose names and formulm are here appended, are chiefly produced by the first general method. The eyanates of the alcohol radicals are the agents used for acting upon the ammonia, and no elimination of secondary product takes vlace. Moreover, they are mostly diamincs and ammoniums, the organic bases hitherto described being all monamines.
The radicals marked in the above formula as teratomie ("') are only empirically formulated, their true construction not being known. The formulas of a few additional bodies have already been given as illustra tions of &amines.
Drrasi phorphorois, arsenie, and bases.—It has been asserted that the great characteristic of organic bases is the presence of nitrogen.
The statement must, however, be received with a certain amount of qualification, inasmuch as many true organic bases have been obtained containing no nitrogen. Their constitution and chemical deportment, nevertheless, show that these Inses are strict analogues of the nitrogen basee—as those hitherto described are sometimes distinctively called— and that they are, in fact, amines and ammonium: in which nitrogen is replaced by phosphorus, or arsenic, or antimony. The remarks already made respecting the nomenclature of the derivatives of NH, and NII,OHO apply equally to those of the compounds under considera tion, the analogues of NH, being of course phosphines, arsine:, or stibines ; and those of NII„ phosphoniums, arsoniums, or stibonium.. They are sometimes considered as derived from PH,, AsH„ and SUE, respectively ; while the analogues of the hypothetical body NIT, are as frequently spoken of as derivatives of the Still more hypothetical bodies PH„ and Sb11,.
The phosphorous, arsenic, and antimony bases are at present limited to the analogues of the tertiary monaraines and ammoniuma, no pri mary or secondary phosphines, arsines, or atibines having yet been produced, nor any analogues of diamines, triainines, or tetramines.
The best process for producing the phosphorous, arsenic, and antimony bases, consists in treating the metallic compounds of the alcohol radicals with the iodides, bromides, or chlorides of phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony, respectively ; the triphosphines, triarsines, and tristibines thus produced readily combine with the bromides or iodides of the alcohol radicals, and form the iodides of phosphonium, arsoniurn, and stibonium, respectively. The latter bodies may be converted into hydrated oxides by the usual treatment with oxide of silver. Thus :— The number of arsenic and antimony bases is about the mine as of organic phosphorous bases. As they contain decided metals, they are conveniently classed with 0 imaxo-at rrauto Bontzs ; in basic character, however, they yield to none of the organic bases.