110 



E. DIVERS AND T. HAGA. 



it was found to produce a little combustible gas, but when the tube 

 was only slowly heated to 150°, the decomposition was perfect into 

 potassium hydrogen sulphate and alcohol. In all these respects, the 

 salt we had obtained agreed with potassium ethyl sulphate. 



For quantitative analysis the salt was re-crystallised from water. 

 Ignited with sulphuric acid it gave potassium sulphate equivalent to 

 24*09 per cent, potassium. Heated in a sealed tube with hydrochloric 

 acid for some hours at 100°, and then for some hours longer at tem- 

 peratures rising to 150°, it gave barium sulphate equivalent to 19*09 

 per cent, sulphur. The filtrate from the barium sulphate, evaporated 

 to dryness and fused with potassium hydroxide, gave no additional 

 sulphur. The alcohol formed by the hydrolysis of the salt was dis- 

 tilled off and easily identified as such by its odour and taste, and by 

 the iodoform and aldehyde tests; but no attempt was made to estimate 

 its quantity. The calculated amounts per cent, for potassium ethyl 

 sulphate are potassium, 23*83, and sulphur, 19*52, with which our 

 finding sufficiently closely agrees. 



