406 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



Pentachloride of phosphorus added to a portion of the compound 

 produced a heavy liquid having the odour of chloroform. 



A small quantity of the body was dissolved in alcohol, distilled 

 upwards for two or three hours with solid hydrate of potash and 

 then distilled off; the residue was next dissolved in water and made 

 exactly neutral by hydrochloric acid, filtered to remove the turbidity, 

 and then a few drops of chloride of mercury added ; after a little time 

 and by the application of heat, a very slight precipitate of subchlo- 

 ride of mercury was formed; also the colour of sesquichloride of 

 iron was a little darkened by anotlier portion of the solution, thus 

 showing that the action of potash on the compound had produced 

 formic acid, but in very small quantity. 



An equivalent of dry hydrochloric acid was passed into a portion 

 of the compound ; the gas was wholly absorbed, a considerable amount 

 of heat being evolved and the liquid assuming a brownish colour ; the 

 liquid after the absorption of the gas still remained perfectly neutral. 

 It was next distilled with the thermometer : it began to boil at 20" C. 

 and rose gradually to 100°; it was collected in three portions, the first 

 (about one-sixth of the whole) passing over between 20° and 50°, the 

 second (about one -third) between 50° and 68°, the third (one-half) 

 between 68° and 100°. I was unable to carry these distillations 

 further in consequence of the small quantity of the liquid available. 



Two equivalents of dry hydrochloric acid were passed into a 

 larger quantity of the compound ; towards the close the gas was 

 absorbed less freely, a portion passing through ; after this treatment, 

 the liquid fumed and was highly acid ; it was distilled upwards for 

 eome time, by which a portion of free hydrochloric acid was expelled, 

 and then distilled fractionally ; about one-third came over between 

 56° and 60° C, one-fourth between 60° and 70°, one-sixth between 

 70° and 80°, and the remainder (about one-fourth) between 80° and 

 88°. To the lowest distillate about an equal bulk of water was 

 added ; the substance floated on the surface and seemed to be little, 

 if at all dissolved by the water ; a suflScient quantity of carbonate 

 of soda was next added to neutralize the free acid, and the liquid 

 pipetted from the water, it was then distilled upwards for some time 

 with dry chloride of calcium, and afterwards distilled off; this distil- 

 late was found to boil constantly at 55°'5 C. An analysis made of 

 this body agrees closely with the formula C H'* O*. 



The distillate which came over between 60° and 70° aftei being 

 treated in the same way as the lower distillate, also yielded a liquid 

 which boiled at 5 6° C. 



As both methods hitherto used for the purpose of obtaining the 

 body C7 H'° O^ afforded only small quantities, the treatment of 

 chloroform with an alcoholic solution of potash was tried ; for this 

 purpose 12 oz. of solid hydrate of potash and 20 oz. of quick lime 

 were added to about three pints of absolute alcohol, and the alcohol 

 distilled upwards for six or seven hours ; 6 oz. of chloroform were 

 then added gradually, the upward distillation being continued about 

 two hours longer ; the liquid was next distilled off to dryness by 

 means of an oil-bath, and submitted to fractional distillation ; by this 

 method a much larger quantity of the compound was obtained than 



