106 On the Muriatic Ether, 



therefore of the greatest importance to produce this decom- 

 position in close vessels. The operation was performed on 

 900 grammes of concentrated muriatic acid, and upon an 

 equal volume of well rectified alcohol. Between the red-hot 

 glass tube, in which the gas was decomposed, and the retort 

 in which it was produced, there was a large tubulated flask 

 containing water at about 15^ or 16°, in order to catch the acid, 

 the alcohol and the water, which might be volatilized along 

 with this gas ; the glass tube, besides, communicated, with 

 two otlier flasks, one containing potash and the other water, 

 irj order to absorb all the acid, which might re-appear in the 

 operation : finally, the gases were collected by means of 

 another lube. To ensure the success of the operation, the 

 glasatv^beifihould be well luted, and the iirc also well ma- 

 naged to prevent the tube from melting. Although in this 

 experiment there oucfht to have been produced nearly 5Q 

 ]itrcs>iOf etherized' gaa, and nearly 250 grammes of acid 

 ought lohave disappeared in the first place, yet all the acid 

 except four grammes rc-ap))eared in the red-hot tube, and 

 carbc to; be dissolved in the two flasks of the apparatus. 

 Thus, of all the suppositions hitherto formed of the mu- 

 riatic acid being a compound body, one only is admissible, 

 which infers that the elements of the muriatic acid exist in 

 the etherized gas combined with the elements of the alco- 

 hol, in the same manner as the elements of water, carbonic 

 acid, ammonia, Sec, exist in vegetable and animal sub- 

 stances. 



Now if we suppose the muriatic acid to be a simple body, 

 we must then necessarily regard etherized gas as formed of 

 nmriatic acid and alcohol, or of a body con ing from the 

 decomposition of alcohol; for alcohol is perhaps decon)- 

 posed v.'hen we distil it with the muriatic acid. In all 

 cases, the question is thus brought to a choice of the two 

 hypotheses. Let us now try their merits as well as we can. 



One, namely that which we have last mentioned, prcr 

 S'Mts us with phienomena of difl^cult explanatio:i. In fact, 

 it must be supposed that alcohol, or the body w Inch re- 

 presents it, acts upon the muriatic acid with much more 

 energy than the strongest alkali, since tl^is alkali cannot 



take 



