See Brosset, Les Ruines d’Ani (1860-1861).

ANICETUS, pope c. 154-167.  It was during his pontificate that
St. Polycarp visited the Roman Church.

ANICHINI, LUIGI, Italian engraver of seals and medals, a native of Ferrara, lived at Venice about 1550.  Michelangelo pronounced his “Interview of Alexander the Great with the high-priest at Jerusalem,” “the perfection of the art.”  His medals of Henry II. of France and Pope Paul III. are greatly valued.

ANILINE, PHENYLAMINE, or AMINOBENZENE, (C_{6}H_{5}NH_{2}), an organic base first obtained from the destructive distillation of indigo in 1826 by O. Unverdorben (Pogg.  Ann., 1826, 8, p. 397), who named it crystalline.  In 1834, F. Runge (Pogg.  Ann., 1834, 31, p. 65; 32, p. 331) isolated from coal-tar a substance which produced a beautiful blue colour on treatment with chloride of lime; this he named kyanol or cyanol.  In 1841, C.J.  Fritzsche showed that by treating indigo with caustic potash it yielded an oil, which he named aniline, from the specific name of one of the indigo-yielding plants, Indigofera anil, anil being derived from the Sanskrit n[=i]la, dark-blue, and n[=i]l[=a], the indigo plant.  About the same time N.N.  Zinin found that on reducing nitrobenzene, a base was formed which he named benzidam.  A.W. von Hofmann investigated these variously prepared substances, and proved them to be identical, and thenceforth they took their place as one body, under the name aniline or phenylamine.  Pure aniline is a basic substance of an oily consistence, colourless, melting at -8 deg. and boiling at 184 deg.  C. On exposure to air it absorbs oxygen and resinifies, becoming deep brown in colour; it ignites readily, burning with a large smoky flame.  It possesses a somewhat pleasant vinous odour and a burning aromatic taste; it is a highly acrid poison.

[v.02 p.0048]

Aniline is a weak base and forms salts with the mineral acids.  Aniline hydrochloride forms large colourless tables, which become greenish on exposure; it is the “aniline salt” of commerce.  The sulphate forms beautiful white plates.  Although aniline is but feebly basic, it precipitates zinc, aluminium and ferric salts, and on warming expels ammonia from its salts.  Aniline combines directly with alkyl iodides to form secondary and tertiary amines; boiled with carbon disulphide it gives sulphocarbanilide (diphenyl thio-urea), CS(NHC_{6}H_{5})_{2}, which may be decomposed into phenyl mustard-oil, C_{6}H_{5}CNS, and triphenyl guanidine, C_{6}H_{5}N:  C(NHC_{6}H_{5})_{2}.  Sulphuric acid at 180 deg. gives sulphanilic acid, NH2.C_{6}H_{4}.SO_{3}H.  Anilides, compounds in which the amino group is substituted by an acid radical, are prepared by heating aniline with certain acids; antifebrin or acetanilide is thus obtained from acetic acid and aniline.  The oxidation of aniline has been carefully investigated.  In alkaline solution