American Philosophical Society. 151 



the aether which was the subject of his communication, since, agree- 

 ably to Liebig, no such compound exists, and it is to be inferred 

 that efforts to produce it had hitherto failed. It was presumed that 

 this would excite no surprise, when the difference was considered 

 between the consequences of the reaction of nitric acid with py- 

 roxylic spirit and with alcohol. 



The liquid last mentioned is now viewed as a hydrated oxide of 

 a;thyl, while pyroxylic spirit is viewed as a hydrated oxide of methyl. 

 When alcohol is presented to nitric acid, a reciprocal decomposition 

 ensues. The acid loses two atoms of oxygen, which, by taking two 

 atoms of hydrogen from a portion of the alcohol, transforms it into 

 aldehyd ; while the hyponitrous acid, resulting inevitably from the 

 partial deoxidizement of the nitric acid, unites with the base of the 

 remaining part of the alcohol. But when pyroxylic spirit is pre- 

 sented to nitric acid, this acid, without decomposition, combines with 

 methyl the base of this hydrate ; so that, as no hyponitrous acid can 

 be evolved, no hyponitrite can be produced. Thus, in the case of 

 the one, there can be no aethereal hyponitrite ; in that of the other, 

 no aethereal nitrate. 



Dr. Hare regretted that Liebig should not have been informed of 

 the improved process for hyponitrous aether, to which he had referred 

 in commencing his communication. Instead of recommending a re- 

 sort to that process, it was advised that the fumes, resulting from 

 the reaction of nitric acid with fecula, should be passed into alcohol, 

 and the resulting vapour condensed by means of a tube surrounded 

 by a freezing mixture. 



This process Dr. Hare had repeated, and found the product very 

 inferior in quantity and purity to that resulting from the employment 

 of a hyponitrite. In this process, nascent hyponitrous acid, as libe- 

 rated from a base, is brought into contact with the hydrated oxide. 

 In the process recommended by Liebig, evidently this contact could 

 not take place ; since it was well known that hyponitrous acid could 

 not be obtained by subjecting fecula and nitric acid to distillation, 

 and condensing the aeriform products*. 



March 4th. — Dr. Goddard presented specimens of Daguerreotype 

 on a surface of gilded silver, and stated that the surface of iodide of 

 gold was more susceptible to the Daguerreotype action of light than 

 that of the iodide of silver, that the surface of the plate might be 

 polished without injury before the action of the iodine, and that the 

 lights came out better than on the silver surface. 



April 1 . — Dr. Hare related some experiments, showing that the 

 vapour of nascent steam, generated by the hydro-oxygen flame, was 

 not productive of electricity. 



He observed that, before his late voyage to Europe, he had made 

 some experiments in order to ascertain whether any electricity was 



* The process alluded to is as follows : — Seven parts of acid, eight parts 

 of alcohol, fourteen parts of water, and fourteen of hyponitrite being pre- 

 pared, add seven parts of water to the salt and seven to the acid, and allow 

 the mixture to cool. The saline solution and alcohol are introduced into 

 a tubulated retort, of which the recurved and tapering beak enters a tube, 

 which occupies the axis, and descends through the neck of an inverted bell- 



