C. marked V. is an acid containing one equivalent or^ ' "^ 

 riiie ; and tlie silver salt marked VI. is a mixture of acids 

 taining one and two equivalents of chlorine.' ''^/"^ ' V. , 



Though several attempts vi^ere made, I did tt'bf^ sdcreed in 

 obtaining any of the salts of these acids in distinct crystals. 

 When boiled with a mixture of muriatic acid and alcohol, 

 each of these acids formed an aether, which in its smell and 

 other properties closely resembled that of benzoic acid. 



It is stated in most systems of chemistry, that chlorine has 

 lib action on solutions of benzoic acid, but from the facts al- 

 ready adduced, it is evident that this opinion is very incorrect. 

 It would be unjust to conclude without referring to the expe- 

 riments of M. Herzog, detailed in Berzelius's Report for 

 1842, p. 107, Paris edition. M. Herzog says, "that when 

 dry benzoic acid is exposed to the action of chlorine under the 

 influence of solar light, the gas is absorbed and the acid is 

 transformed into a reddish humid mass, having a disagreeable 

 and fishy smell. When this is treated with carbonate of soda, 

 it forms a brownish-red solution, while a resinous body having 

 the smell of benzoin remains undissolved. When the alka- 

 line solution is neutralized with nitric acid, a crystalline acid 

 containing chlorine precipitates." The amount of the chlo- 

 rine contained in it he did not determine. M. Hertzog also 

 mentions that cinnamic acid is decomposed by chlorine in a 

 similar way, yielding a chlorinated cinnamic acid. He makes 

 no reference to the formation of any oil, nor does he appear 

 to have attempted an analysis of any of these compounds 

 whatever. 



Glasgow, June 9, 1845. 

 ■ \i\\ri.'. \ 



* '•";''■'•': XXIII, Proceedins'S of Learned Societies. 

 j/fl storntlrfg n;tv 



"..». .F»; ,f J ^ V ROYAL SOCIETY. 



Anniversary Meeting, Nov. 30, 1 844. 



^I^HE Marquis of Northampton in the Chair. 

 -■- The noble President stated that the two Royal Medals had been 

 adjudged by the Council to Mr. Boole, for his important papers on 

 a General Method of Analysis* ; to Dr. Andrews of Belfast, for his 

 valuable paper on the Thermal Changes accompanying Basic Sub- 

 stitutionsf ; and the Copley Medal to Signor Malteucci of Pisa, for 

 his discoveries in the magnetic electricity of animal nature. 



The President then presented the Medals ; after which he pro- 

 ceeded to state that the Society had lost some distinguished meni- 



* An abstract of this paper will be found in vol. xxiv. p. 459. — Ed. 

 " t Abstracts of Dr. Andrev\'s's researches will be found in vol. xix. p. 183; 

 vol. xxiv. p. 457 ; vol. XXV. p. 93, of this Journal. — Ed. 



