Résumé : 2‐Amino‐4‐hydroxy‐6‐mercaptopyrimidine (II) has been synthesized by condensation of guanidine with methyl ethoxycarbonyl‐dithioacetate (I). The structure of the condensation product II has been proved (a) by desulfurization to isocytosine (III), (b) by comparison with a specimen prepared by treatment of 2‐amino‐4‐chloro‐6‐hydroxypyrimidine (IV) with NaSH. The dithioester I and formamidine did not react under the same experimental conditions. The expected product, 4‐hydroxy‐6‐mercaptopyrimidine (VII), has been obtained from 4,6‐dichloropyrimidine through the following steps :4‐chloro‐6‐methoxypyrimidine (V) and 4‐chloro‐6‐hydroxypyrimidine (VI). The dithioester I is considerably less reactive than ethyl malonate in the reaction with the two amidines studied. Copyright © 1959 Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim