98 On the Atomic Weight and Constitution of the Alcohols. 



I have made the experiment with considerable quantities of 

 the salts, but obtained only a mixture of the cyanides of sethyle 

 and amyle, and from this mixture of course only propionic and 

 caproic acids. 



I add the following observations upon some salts of the pro- 

 pionic and caproic acids not hitherto prepared. 



Propionate of Lime, CaO, C 6 H 5 3 +HO, obtained by neu- 

 tralizing an aqueous solution of propionic acid with fresh pre- 

 cipitated carbonate of lime, crystallizes by spontaneous evapora- 

 tion of the solution in long and beautiful prisms which group 

 together. It does not alter by exposure to the air, and dried 

 over sulphuric acid it retains one equivalent of water, which it 

 only loses by heating to 100° C. 0*4394 grm. of the salt dried 

 over sulphuric acid lost by heating in water- bath to 100° C. 

 0*039 grm. = 8*8 per cent, of water, exactly what the formula 



CaO.C 6 H 5 3 + HO 



requires. 0*3854 grm. of the salt dried at 100° C, on being 

 ignited with the usual precautions, left 0*2098 grm. of carbonate 

 of lime = 30*4 per cent, of lime. The formula CaO . C 6 H 5 O 3 

 requires 30*4 lime. 



Propionate of Copper, CuO . C 6 H 5 3 + HO, obtained in a 

 similar manner, forms very regular octahedral crystals, sometimes 

 with cube facets, of a dark green colour; it is easily soluble in 

 water, and crystallizes best by spontaneous evaporation. These 

 crystals, dried over sulphuric acid, retain one equivalent of water 

 of crystallization, which they lose on heating to 100° C. 0*3951 

 grm. of salt lost in water- bath 0*0229 grm. of water =7*52 per 

 cent. The formula CuO . C 6 H 5 3 + HO requires 7*9 HO. 

 0*2218 grm. of the salt dried at 100°, left, after ignition, moisten- 

 ing with NO 5 , &c, 0*0798 grm. of oxide of copper =37*68 per 

 cent (calculated 37*9 oxide of copper). 



Propionate of Baryta, BaO . C 6 H 5 3 + HO, obtained in very 

 large and regular tabular prisms by spontaneous evaporation, 

 contains after drying over sulphuric acid one equivalent of water, 

 which it loses at 100° C. 0*2432 grm. of the dried salt lost at 

 a temperature of 100° C. 00146 = 5*97 water, exactly what the 

 formula BaO . C 6 H 5 O 3 + HO requires. 



Propionate of Amyloxide, C 10 H n .C 6 H 5 3 .— I obtained 

 this compound by distilling a mixture of propionate and sulpho- 

 amylate of potash in equivalent proportions. It is a clear colour- 

 less fluid, with a very agreable odour like pine-apple, little 

 soluble in water, but soluble in sether and alcohol in all propor- 

 tions ; it boils at about 155° C. 0*1809 grm. dried over chloride 

 of calcium and rectified, afforded by combustion with oxide of 

 copper 0*4344 grm. CO 2 , and 0*1848 grm. HO. 



