246 ON ACETIC ACID AND ACETATES. 



ratio of the facility of decomposition by a high temperature: 



and that, if the acetate of manganese be an exception to 



this law, it is because its base facilitates the decomposition 



of the acid by absorbing oxigen. 



No doubt there are other circumstances, that influence 



<he results of these distillations; but the determination of 



such complicated causes is a problem not to be solved in the 



present state of chemistry. 



Uniform in its Pyroacetic spirit is precisely the same substance, whatever 



properties. fo e the salt that has served for its formation. 



Products of Prussic acid and ammonia have been classed among the 



acetates exa- products of the distillation of acetates. I have digested the 



mined for ° 



prussic acid, liquid product of the acetates of lead and of potash on 



the red oxide of mercury, and on the black oxide of iron 

 with potash. I have treated it with sulphate of iron, and 

 by all the means I could think of; but I could not find any 

 prussic acid, any more than in the dry residuum in the retort. 

 Though it is extremely difficult, to detect very small quan- 

 tities of prussic acid in any substance whatever, I do 

 not think any exists in the liquid products of distilled 

 acetates, 

 and for am- As to the ammonia I added lime and potash to the liquid 



moma. products of several acetates, and I afterward held near 



Visible vapours them a tube wetted with muriatic acid, when very visible 

 acid^no certain va P ours were produced. I could not distinguish the am- 

 testof iu monia by the smell. I held the same tube moistened with 



muriatic acid near the surface of a little common alcohol, 

 and observed the same vapours. I precipitated by a solu- 

 tion of potash a solution of acetate of copper, and added 

 a little of the liquid product of distilled acetate of potash. 

 Dividing it into two portions, into one I put a single drop 

 of ammonia, and none into the other. I filtered the two 

 separately, and then passed a stream of sulphuretted hidro- 

 gen gas through each. Jn that containing the drop of am- 

 monia, brown flocks were formed, like hidrosulphuret of 

 copper ; but in the other I could distinguish nothing. 

 From these experiments I am persuaded, that no ammonia 

 is formed [in the distillation of acetates ; and that the 

 mistake has arisen from the vapours, which muriatic acid 



forms 



