100 



shewn by the description and analyses of two acid salts, the baryta 

 and silver salts, whose composition is thus expressed, 



BaO, HO, C, li fi C,^ HO,i 



AgO, HO, C, H,0 C,, HO^,, 

 and a neutral baryta salt, of the constitution, 



2 BaO, C, H.O, C,, HO,,. 

 It was shewn that ethylomeconic acid undergoes a curious decom- 

 position in contact with ammonia. It appears very complex ; and Mr 

 How gave, as representing the composition of the products he ob- 

 tained, an ammonia salt of an amide acid, and the acid itself, the 

 following formulse, 



Ammonia salt 9 NH^O, Cg^ H^^ ^7^63 + ^ ^^* 

 Acid of ... 9 HO, Cg4 H24 NyO^g + 3 aq. 



The acid appears to he formed by the grouping together of six atoms 

 of normal amidomeconic acid and one of ammonia. 



The ^cond product of the action of hydrochloric acid gas upon me- 

 conic acid in alcohol was shewn to be an uncrystalline body, to which the 

 formula, C32 O^g Ogg? was assigned ; and it was considered as formed 

 from the coupling together of equivalents of meconic and ethylome- 

 conic acids, 



C32 H12 0,3 = 3 HO, C,, HO,, + 2 HO, C, H,0 C,, H0„ 

 Want of substance prevented a complete study of this body ; but it 

 seems, from a few reactions tried, to be certainly more than a mere 

 mixture of the two acids. 



The third ether described was obtained from the mother liquors 

 of the preceding two. The formula of this substance, biethylome- 

 conic acid, is 



HO, 2 C, H,0 C,, HO,,, 



it being meconic acid in which two atoms of basic water are replaced 

 by two equivalents of ether. It is a crystalline substance, fusible in 

 boiling water, in which it also dissolves on agitation. In the dry 

 state it fuses at about 230° Fahr. 



It is an acid, monobasic ; an analysis was given of its ammonia 

 and its baryta salt, their respective formulse are 



NH,0, 2 C, H,0, C,, HO,, 



BaO, 2C, H5O, C„HO„. 

 Biethylomeconic acid is not decomposed by ammonia in the cold ; 

 but Mr How believes it undergoes a change when heated with this 



