Dr. Kane on the Combinations derived from Pyroacetic Spirit. 119 



dark-brown ; and paper dipped in it burning, when dried, with the characters of 

 touch-paper. Its odour and taste are penetrating, but sweetish. When heated 

 in a water-bath, it shows no appearance of vaporization ; and if exposed to the 

 flame of a lamp, it is decomposed with an explosion so violent, if a moderately 

 large quantity be employed, as to shatter the apparatus. The products are red 

 fumes of hyponitrous acid, mixed with a very heavy white smoke, and the bottom 

 of the retort is lined with a copious deposit of carbon. These properties completely 

 prevent the purification of the substance by distillation, and render its analysis at 

 once difficult and uncertain in its results. Several experiments were, however, 

 made to determine its composition, which, from the coexistence of the thicker 

 fluid, never gave twice the same absolute result ; yet the relation between the 

 quantities of carbon and hydrogen remained in all cases almost constant. Thus 

 the specimen which contained most carbon gave 



A. Carbon = 50.43 

 Hydrogen = 4.35 per cent. 



And that which contained least gave 



B. Carbon = 44.5? 

 Hydrogen = 4.02 



The number of atoms of carbon is to that of hydrogen in A as 6 to 3.17 ; and in 

 B as 6 to 3.32. It is therefore evident that in both the thin and the thicker 

 fluid the carbon and hydrogen are in very nearly the same ratio as that of Cg H3. 

 It is also certain that the thin fluid contains nitrogen either as nitric or hypo- 

 nitrous acid, and we may construct from these principles the formula c^ h, o^ n, 

 which gives 



Carbon = 42.8 



Hydrogen = 3.5 



Nitrogen = 16.5 



Oxygen = 37.2 



The formula Cg H3 NO4 = Cg H3 o -^ NO3 ; and represents acombination of oxide of 

 pteleyl with hypo-nitrous acid, analogous to the nitrogen compounds existing in 

 the napthaline and other series. The origin of this body may be very simply 

 explained. It is probable that nitric acid unites directly with oxide of mesityl, but 



100. 



