368 Dr. Debus on the Action of Nitric Add 



The formula C* H* Pb' 0"* would require — bioB oflvxoyb 



Carbon ... 2 24 8-d ' ' 



Hydrogen . . 2 » 2 0-67 



Lead .... 2 207*6 697 

 Oxygen ... 4 64 



" 297-6 



It contains therefore a little more lead than the calqulation 

 requires, a circumstance which occurs frequently with lead com- 

 pounds, on account of their inclination to form basic salts. 



Some experiments to substitute less than one atom of hydrogen 

 in one atom of glyoxylic acid did not lead to any positive result. 

 A certain quantity of the acid was divided into two equal parts ; 

 the one exactly saturated with carbonate of potash, and then the 

 other mixed with it. After evaporating the liquid in vacuo a 

 thick syrup remained, which could not be made to crystallize. 

 On adding alcohol, glyoxylic acid was extracted, and an oily mass 

 separated which soon became solid, and proved to be the salt 

 C'H^KO*. 



0*284 grm., dried in vacuo y gave 01 62 chloride of potassium, 

 corresponding to 30 per cent, of potassium. The formula 

 C^H^KO'* requires 30*2 per cent. A similar result was ob- 

 tained with the lime-salt. 



The action of nitric acid on alcohol and the formation of gly- 

 oxylic acid is explained in the following manner : — If from one 

 atom of alcohol two atoms of hydrogen are deducted and two 

 atoms of oxygen added, w^e obtain the formula of glycolic acid, — 



C^H60 + 30;p,,C^H403 + H^O-io^iBloo 



-': Alcohol. Glycolic acid. Water. '^'^ ^"^^^ 



When'water, alcohol, and nitric acid act upon each other at about 

 16° C, and as soon as these three substances have mixed, the 

 liquid is treated as described, only glycolate of lime is obtained. 

 "When the same experiment was repeated at about 20° C, and 

 especially when the mixture was allowed to stand for a few weeks 

 after the action had apparently ceased, much glyoxylate of lime 

 and less glycolate of lime was found. Therefore it seems as if 

 the glyoxylic acid was formed at the expense., of the glycolic 

 acid,—- . ,,,,^^ J (,'^.n-urv , 



By allowing more time, or a higher tern perature^ the oxidatioa 

 does not stop short at the production of C'^ H"* 0^, but the latter 

 takes up one atom of oxygen more, and becomes converted into 



