170 Foreign and Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



had somehow disappeared. M. Morin found this in the water over 

 which the compound had originally been formed ; for although both 

 gases may have been well purified, this water always becomes strongly 

 acid, and in fact, being saturated with bi-carbonate of potassa, eva- 

 porated to dryness and ignited, the chloride of potassium produced 

 was found to contain half the chlorine which had been employed 

 in forming the oily fluid. 



Hence the true theory of action is as follows : four atoms of car- 

 buretted hydrogen being acted upon by two atoms of chlorine 

 (equal volumes), one of the former gave its hydrogen to one of the 

 latter, to form one of muriatic acid, and its carbon to the other 

 atom of chlorine, to form an atom of proto-chloride of carbon. 

 This atom of proto-chloride, combined with the remaining three of 

 carburetted hydrogen, forms the chloric ether * ; and upon consi- 

 deration it will be found, that such a compound would give by 

 decomposition the proportion and kind of gases before stated to 

 occur. 



Action of Chlorine on Alcohol. As alcohol and ether may be 

 considered as hydrates of carburetted hydrogen, M. Morin then 

 closely investigated the effect of chlorine upon them. In the 

 alcohol experiment, the chlorine being disengaged in a matrass, 

 then passed through a vessel containing chloride of lime, next 

 through that containing the alcohol, next to this was a vessel 

 containing water, and ultimately a fourth with a solution of chlo- 

 ride of lime ; the third vessel was to absorb any muriatic acid 

 formed, and the fourth to saturate any carbonic acid which might be 

 disengaged. When the chlorine was passed very slowly, and the 

 alcohol was very pure, the whole of the gas was absorbed, and a 

 greenish oily liquid was deposited at the bottom of the vessel. 

 Gradually the absorption of chlorine diminished, but did not cease 

 until several days had passed, after which the bubbles were increased 

 in bulk whilst traversing the liquid. There were then two liquids 

 in the vessel, the lower third was oily, whilst the upper part was 

 very acid and fuming. Either could be coloured green by a slight 

 excess of chlorine. The increase in weight indicated the chlorine 

 absorbed, and by saturating the acid liquor with bi-carbonate of 

 potassa, the quantity of muriatic acid produced was easily deter- 

 mined. Of the two liquids, the lightest was found to precipitate 

 by water, and to be a solution of the heavier in acid ; the quantity 

 thus dissolved was estimated by comparative experiments. The 

 quantity of carbonic acid produced was as nothing, the trace existing 

 probably came from the manganese. The experiment proved that 

 chlorine combined with alcohol in a volume equal to that of the 

 hydro-carbon present, estimated in the same state ; that half the 



* We have ventured to alter the number of atoms, &c., referred to by M. Morin 

 in illustration, without, however, altering the sense of the statement. M. Morin 

 doubles the atom of carbon, and calls it vapour, &c. ; the consequence is, that in 

 the very passage altered, the theoretical impropriety occurs of saying, that fo'-car- 

 burettcd hydrogen is composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one of carbon. Ed. 



