Royal Society, 651 



white flame, is soluble in water, alcohol, and aether, and is slowly 

 decomposed in contact with air. 



On boiling phosphite of aethyle with concentrated solution of baryta, 

 in water, it is decomposed into alcohol and a salt which varies 

 according to the amount of baryta used. If one atom of the aether 

 be treated with one of baryta, a crystallized salt is produced on eva- 

 poration, the carbon and hydrogen in which are, according to an 

 analysis I have just completed, — 



Found. Required. 



Carbon 20-354 24-158 



Hydrogen .. 5-356 5-050 



Baryta .... 36-880 37-090 



In that marked 'required' I have supposed the salt to bear the fol- 

 lowing formula and to be completely anhydrous, 2C-*H^0, BaO, PO^, 

 but if we suppose that four atoms of water are present in the salt 

 analysed, the relation will stand thus : 



Found. Required. 



20-354 20-453 



5-356 5-540 



The formula would then be 2C'^HsO, BaO, P03 + 4HO. 



When two atoms of baryta are made to act upon one atom of 

 the aether, a salt is obtained which does not crystallize, and it may 

 be evaporated in air without sensible decomposition. This salt is per- 

 fectly neutral to test paper ; when dry it is a white friable delique- 

 scent mass, the formula of which will be C^H^O, 2BaO, PO^. If 

 an excess of baryta is used, a white salt is thrown down on boiling, 

 which I suppose to be HO, 2BaO, PO^. 



I have prepared another compound with three equivalents of amyle. 

 This was obtained from amylate of soda by an analogous process to 

 that described for the phosphite of sethyle. 



Analysis has ppinted out the formula SCoH^O, PO^. Like 

 phosphite of sethyle it is easily decomposed on being heated in air ; 

 heated in hydrogen it is more stable and then boils at 236° C. It is 

 soluble in aether and in alcohol, but only slightly soluble in water. 



" On the Constitution of Coal-tar Creosote." By Prof. William- 

 son. 



For some years past it has been a debated question among che- 

 mists, whether the peculiar body originally described by Reichen- 

 bach as creosote, and subsequently analysed by Ettling and others, 

 has any real existence, or whether the properties which were attri- 

 buted to it are not to be more correctly ascribed to the hydrate of 

 phenyle, which can be obtained in a state of great purity from at 

 least one sort of commercial creosote by mere distillation, and which 

 possesses in an eminent degree the antiseptic properties for which 

 creosote is remarkable. 



With a view of obtaining some light on this question, Mr. Fairlie 

 undertook, in the laboratory of University College, an investigation 

 of the portions of coal-tar creosote which boil higher than the hydrate 

 of phenyle. The result of his experiments has been to show that a 



