on the Acetic and Acetous Acids, 13 



Jttidor, year 6, on the acetic acid, publiftied in the Annates 

 de Chhnie of the fame year. By very interefting and well- 

 performed experiments C. Adet endeavoured to prove that 

 there did not exift two acids of vinegar, and he concluded 

 from them, that the acetous acid is conftantly at the higheft 

 degree of oxygenation ; that it is confequently in the ftate of 

 acetic acid ; and, in the laft place, that the difference which 

 exifts between the acetous and acetic acid fcems to depend 

 on the lefs quantity of water contained in the latter, and not 

 On a greater proportion of oxygen, as before believed. I (hall 

 not defcribe his experiments, as they are too numerous ; I 

 fhall only obferve that they are very exact. 



In the month of Brumaire, year J, C. Chaptal publiftied 

 his obfervations on the fame fubjecl: *. By new experiments 

 he combats not thofe of C. Adet, but the confequences he 

 has deduced from them. He however does not confider the 

 acetic acid as more oxygenated than the acetous acid, but 

 only as containing lefs carbon ; he mentions feveral experi- 

 ments which feem to fupport his theory, and particularly the 

 diftillation of acetite of copper. This celebrated chemift fays, 

 that when this fait is diftilled the acetous acid is decarbonized; 

 a part of this carbon combines itfelf with the oxygen of the 

 oxide of the copper, and efcapes in carbonic acid ; while the 

 other remains in its natural ftate in the retort with the me- 

 tallic oxide, and while the acetous acid, thus deprived of a 

 portion of its carbon, pafles into the receiver in the ftate of 

 acetic acid. A number of other experiments are quoted in 

 fupport of this reafoning; but I fhall not defcribe them as 

 thev are printed, I fhall only defcribe thofe made by myfelf. 



To afcertain whether the acetic acid was more oxygenated 

 than the acetous acid, I repeated fome of C. Adet's experi- 

 ments, which I found to be perfectly correct; but it would 

 be ufelefs to defcribe them, fince all thofe chemifts acquainted 

 with them are agreed in regard to the oxygenation of the 

 acetic and acetous acids ; but it will not be improper, per- 

 haps, to mention fome new ones which feem to fupport this 

 theory. 



As the two acids in queftion differ a great deal by their 

 concentration., I brought them before I employed them to 

 the fame degree ; and for this purpofe employed the fpeciflc 

 gravity of pure acetous acid, which was 1*007 : on the other 

 hand, I mixed with the acetic acid a fufficient quantity of 

 diftilled water until its denfity was equal to that of 1*007, or 

 of acetous acid. In this ftate there is very little difference 

 * Annates ds Cb';v:ie ; vol. xxviii. p. 113. 



between 



