Sulphurous JEther and Sulphate of ^therine, 475 



To the hydrocarbon of Hennel (4- C H),* as the common 

 base of all the aethers, excepting those hitely alleged to have 

 mythelene for a base^ the name of £etherine has been given ; 

 so that the heavy oil of wine may be called the sulphate of 



aetherine; or, according to the formula of Serullas, 2 8E + H, 

 it is a hydrous sulphate of aetherine. It is, in fact, the only 

 compound to which the name of sulphuric aether can be ap- 

 plied with propriety. The yellow liquid out of which it is 

 procured, as above stated, may be designated as the aethereal 

 sulphurous sulphate of aetherine. 



Another oil, lighter than water, resulting from the distilla- 

 tion of the aethereal sulphurous sulphate of aetherine, from 

 hydrate of lime, or from potash, is described by Berzelius as 

 oil of wine exempt from sulphuric acid. Of this the odour is 

 represented as disagreeable ; and, though nothing is said of 

 its taste, it is to be presumed that it differs from the heavy 

 oil of wine in this respect, as well as in its odour and specific 

 gravity. 



Thenard alleges, that when the heavy oil of wine is heated 

 with water for some time, a liquid swims on the water, which, 

 if refrigerated by ice, will, within twenty-four hours, deposit 

 crystals. The mother liquid he calls light oil of wine, while 

 to the crystals he gives the name of concrete oil of wine. 

 Hennel mentions his having obtained a similar product by the 

 reaction of oil of wine with water, or an aqueous solution of 

 potash ; and treats the crystalline matter as the base of the 

 heavy oil of wine, deprived of its acid ; or, in other words, as 

 his " hydrocarbon ;" or, as above mentioned, aetherine. 



Considering how much has been written on this topic, I am 

 surprised that I have met with no statements respecting the 

 reaction of ammonia with the above-mentioned aethereal sul- 

 phurous sulphate of aetherine. 



Since the year 1818, I have been accustomed to saturate 

 the acid in that liquid by ammonia. The residue, being ren- 

 dered very fragrant, and entirely freed from its sulphurous 

 odour, by admixture with about twenty-four parts of alcohol, 

 was found to constitute an anodyne, possessing eminently all 

 the efficacy of that so long distinguished by the name of 

 Hoffman. When the residue, remaining after saturation with 

 ammonia, was distilled in a water-bath, aether came over, and 

 left an oil which I was accustomed to consider as the oil of 

 wine. 



I had observed that, in the process above-mentioned, 

 there was a striking evolution of vapour, which seemed Jrre- 



* Mr. Hennel's paper will be found in Phil. Mug. and Annals, N.S., 

 vol. vi. p. 342. — Edit. 



