862 Dr. Debus on the Action of Nitric Acid 



small quantity of water. The temperature of the room was kept 

 constant at 20*^ C. The nitric acid from one side and the alcohol 

 from the other mix slowly with the water and meet each other. 

 The alcohol is partly converted into nitrous aether, which escapes, 

 and partly oxidized. An evolution of gas is observed, weak at 

 the beginning, but strong at the end of the process. After the 

 lapse of six or eight days, the three layers of water, alcohol, and 

 nitric acid have completely mixed, the generation of gas ceases, 

 and the operation is finished. 



The liquid contains in this state, acetic, formic, oxalic, nitric, 

 glycolic, and a new acid; also different kinds of aethers and 

 aldehydes. 



The mixture is evaporated on the water-bath, in quantities not 

 exceeding 20 or 30 grms., till it assumes the consistency of 

 strong syrup. If more than 30 grms. are evaporated at one 

 time, then the substances to be prepared from it do not crystal- 

 lize. Alcohol, nitrous aether, nitric, acetic, and formic acids, the 

 aldehyde of acetic acid, and other volatile substances escape. 

 Glycolic, oxalic, and the new acid, with a peculiar kind of alde- 

 hyde, remain in the evaporating basin. The contents of the 

 latter are dissolved in a little water and neutrahzed with carbonate 

 of lime. As soon as the effervescence has ceased, the liquid is 

 mixed with an equal volume of strong alcohol. Nearly all the 

 lime-salts are thrown down, whilst the aldehyde remains in solu- 

 tion. The precipitate is collected on a filter of linen, pressed, 

 and then treated with a suitable quantity of boihng water. After 

 filtering off from undissolved carbonate and oxalate of lime, the 

 filtrate yields, on cooling and standing, a crystallization of a new 

 compound of lime, which I propose to call glyoxylate of lime. 

 On evaporating the mother-liquor, another quantity of the same 

 substance may be obtained. If the liquid is further concentrated, 

 a double salt of glycolate and glyoxylate of lime is separated. 

 From the mother-hquor of the latter no more crystals can be 

 prepared by evaporation. But if some slaked lime is added till 

 it becomes alkaline, and it is boiled for a short time, filtered, 

 and the excess of the lime removed by carbonic acid gas, it yields 

 to the last drop crystals of glycolate of lime. 



The liquid from which these lime-salts had been precipitated 

 by alcohol leaves, after evaporation on the water-bath, a thick 

 brown syrup, which is shaken with absolute alcohol. Except a 

 small quantity of glycolate of lime, nearly the whole dissolves. The 

 solution is filtered, and the alcohol distilled off at 100° C. A 

 thick liquid remains in the retort, which belongs to the same 

 class of compounds as the aldehyde of acetic acid ; it unites with 

 ammonia, oxide of lead, and bisulphite of soda. Of this sub- 

 stance I shall treat in another paper. 



