It seemed to the authors to be desirable to ascertain the mode in which the salts of diethylmethyl-sulphine and ethylmethylethylsulphine respectively decompose when heated.

They prepared the iodides by the method described by Krüger, whose observations on the iodides and chloroplatinates they substantially confirm.

The benzoates were prepared from the iodides by action of benzoate of silver. They are exceedingly soluble substances, and were only obtained as thick syrups. Heated to between 110° and 120° C. they decompose in exactly the same way, yielding benzoate of methyl without any benzoate of ethyl.