of Pyroxylic Spirit, and of its derived Combinations, 49 



rapidity, there is mucli heat disengaged, and a large quantity of 

 muriatic acid gas formed, together with a dark brown heavy 

 liquid, the detailed examination of which was prevented by 

 the smallness of the quantity of oil in my possession. 



Action of Chlorine on Pyroxylic Spirit, — In the memoir of 

 Dumas and Peligot these distinguished chemists touch upon 

 the action of chlorine on pyroxylic spirit but slightly ; and 

 I have found in my experiments a remarkable deviation from 

 their account, so far at least as the accompanying phaenomena 

 are concerned. 



In order to examine the nature of this reaction I employed 

 in the first instance the apparatus used by Professor Liebig 

 in the formation of chloral, but was obliged to abandon its 

 use from the great violence of the action that ensued. Every 

 bubble of dry chlorine that came into contact with the pyr- 

 oxylic spirit produced an explosion, with flame^ the deposition 

 of carbon, and separation of muriatic acid ; and if a few bubbles 

 passed through the spirit without being absorbed and mixed 

 with the vapour in the upper portion of the apparatus, a still 

 more violent explosion took place, which generally drove the 

 mass back into the vessel containing the sulphuric acid by 

 which the chlorine had been dried. As light could not be 

 completely excluded from acting on this apparatus, the fol- 

 lowing arrangement was substituted for it. The retort, in 

 which chlorine was disengaged, was connected by a bent 

 tube with a three-necked bottle containing sulphuric acid. 

 In the second neck of this bottle was inserted a safety-tube 

 dipping into the acid, and from the third issued a bent tube 

 which passed through one opening of a two-necked balloon, 

 and dipped into the pyroxylic spirit contained in it. With 

 the second neck was connected the refrigerating apparatus of 

 Liebig, which delivered the condensed fluid into a second 

 two-necked globe, from which a tube conducted the disengaged 

 muriatic acid gas to a solution of potash, in order to prevent 

 the inconvenience of its escaping into the atmospheric air. 



The balloon containing the pyroxylic spirit having been 

 carefully covered with thick paper so as almost perfectly to 

 exclude the light, the stream of dry chlorine was absorbed 

 completely and much muriatic acid generated. After some 

 time the action becomes less intense, and the balloon requires 

 to be warmed to favour the escape of the muriatic acid formed. 

 At the end of the reaction there are found in the balloon two 

 li(juids of different densities, one light, watery, and intensely 

 acid, the other extremely dense, and generally coloured by 

 carbon deposited in the ex})losions, a few of which are almost 

 unavoidable. This heavy liquor possesses the following pro- 



TJfird Series, Vol. 10. No. 58. Jan, 1837. H 



