Report upon a Memoir on the Nitrous Elfier, 181 



is easily carbonized by a combination of one part of hy<lro- 

 gen, carbon, and oxygen. 



Supported by these results, M. Thenard discusses the pro- 

 cesses which have been pubhshed for obtaining the nitric 

 ether ; and he shows that some of them are dangerous in the 

 execution ; and that the whole furnish but a part of the ether 

 which may be obtained from the same quantity of ingre- 

 dients, and only yield liquors more or less compound, in which 

 the nitric ether, the name they go by, in reality forms but a 

 part. 



The Dutch chemists have made some interesting inquiries 

 respecting the nitric ether, or rather upon the gas obtained 

 by the action of the nitric acid upon alcohol. They have, 

 however, resorted to an insufficitnt hypothesis, in order to 

 explain the curious facts they communicate. 1st, They have 

 regarded the gas in question as a combination of nitrous gas 

 and ether, while it is composed of gaseous ether, nitrous 

 gas, nitrous acid, azotic gas, gaseous oxide of azot, carbo- 

 nic acid, acetic acid, and, in short, of all substances suscepti- 

 ble of assuming 4he gaseous form in the variable circum- 

 stances in which they exist. 2dly, They have supposed that 

 ether was an identical substance ; so that they have entirely 

 neglected lo analyse the nitric ether, and establish its distin- 

 guishing characters. 3dly, A consequence of this opinion js, 

 that they have attributed to a pre-existing nitrous gas, phae- 

 nomena which are owing to the decomposition of the ni- 

 tric ether. 



After having discussed the opinions and experiments of 

 the Dutch chemists, M. Thenard concludes his memoir, 

 by remarking that he has only considered the products and 

 phaenomena obtained in a given proportion, and in determi- 

 nate circumstances ; the effects will be different under other 

 conditions which he purposes to introduce : but he has al- 

 ready convinced himself, that those he has used are most fa- 

 vourable to the production of the nitric ether. 



M. Thenard's memoir contains a great number of new 

 facts, and very delicate analyses. He determines the nature 

 of a substance} very remarkable in its properties, and yet 

 he only presents it as the 'beginning of a laborious work 



M 3 only 



