ON ACETIC ACID AND ACETATES. 351 



Rectified once from muriate of lime, it became 0*7864; 

 and this was the lightest I obtained. Mr. Trommsdorf says 

 he has had it at 0-75 ; but I never found any so light. It is 

 even probable, that what I estimate at 0*7864, having been 

 condensed at a cold of 12° or 15° below [5° or 10-4° F.], 

 is nearly the lightest possible. It burns with a white flame 

 externally, and a fine blue inner flame. It leaves no resi- 

 duum after combustion. It boils at 59° [138-2° F.]. I 

 do not know at what degree it becomes solid, as I exposed 

 it only to 15? below [5° F.] when it remained perfectly 

 fluid. It mixes with water in all proportions, as well as 

 with alcohol, and all the volatile oils I tried. With olive 

 oil it appears to mix in certain proportions, which vary as 

 one or the other predominates; except heat be applied, 

 when they mix whatever their quantity may be : so that at 

 a temperature much below its boiling point the pyroacetic 

 spirit has the remarkable property of mixing with water, 

 with alcohol, with fixed oils, and with volatile oils, in all 

 proportions. When cold it dissolves a very little sulphur, 

 and a little more phosphorus. Camphor has not a more 

 active menstruum. White wax, as well as grease, dis- 

 solves in it hot ; but part of both separates, when the tem- 

 perature is lowered. Water however occasions a copious 

 precipitate from both solutions when cold. It dissolves a 

 little elastic resin, which water precipitates from it. An 

 aqueous solution of gum arabic is rendered very turbid 

 by it. 



Taught by the labours of Mr. Thenard, that acetie ether Acetic ether de- 

 is nothing but a combination of acetic acid with alcohol, and Sfcjjj^ 5 * e y 

 that this combination yielded to the action of alkalis. I was 

 willing to try the pyroacetic spirit comparatively with acetic 

 ether. 



Into acetic ether of the specific gravity of 0-8627 I put Experiment 

 some caustic potash, which dissolved in it, and the liquid 

 became yellow. Soon after, and in proportion as the 

 potash dissolved, it lost the smell of ether. Subjecting 

 it to distillation, the solution grew deeper coloured 

 hy concentration, and a weak alcohol of the specific 

 gravity of 0*9059 passed into the matrass. In the retort 



I found 



