Skction III., 1905. * [ 29 ] Trans. R. S. C 



IV. — Physico-chemical Researches from the MacDonald Chemistry and 

 Mining Building, McGill Uiiiversity. 



By J. Wallace Walker. 



(Read May 24th, 1905.) 



The following investigations have been conducted during the past 

 year by my co-workers and by myself. Full reports of them will appear 

 shortly in some of the monthly chemical journals. 



1. Further Proofs of the Higher Valency of Oxygen. 



The solubility of ether in aqueous hydrochloric acid was one of the 

 earliest and most potent arguments for the oxonium theory. Some 

 other instances of a similar nature have been observed and examined 

 by the author. Benzaldehyde, anisaldehyde and benzyl alcohol, all of 

 which are only slightly soluble in water or even in the moderately con- 

 centrated acid, become very soluble when the acid reaches a high degree 

 of concentration. The temperature-concentration curves for the system 

 — benzaldehyde, water, hydrogen chloride — have been examined over a 

 considerable range, and one definite crystalline compound has been 

 isolated. A crystalline compound has also been obtained between 

 anisaldehyde and the same reagents. In contrast to benzaldehyde the 

 isolubility of benzyl alcohol in aqueous hydrochloric acid diminishes 

 with falling temperature. 



2. The Ethereal Salts of the Optically Active Lactic, Chloropro- 

 pionic and Bromopropionic Acids. 



In conjunction with M. Violette Dover, M.Sc. 



These compounds have already been investigated by one of us, but 

 owing to the method employed in the preparation of the lactates having 

 been shown by Purdie to be one likely to give rise to the presence of 

 impurities, they have been prepared by another method, viz., the action 

 of alcohols and sulphuric acid upon the zinc or the zinc-ammonium 

 salts. The values obtained for the optical activity of these esters over 

 a considerable range of temperature are to be used for comparison with 

 the values for the corresponding derivatives of mandelic acid already 

 prepared by one of us. 



3. The Electrical Conductivity of Salt Solutions in Acetamide. 

 In conjunction with Fred. M. G. Johnson, ]\I.Sc. 



Commercial acetamide prepared by Kahlbaum was purified by 

 crystallisation from benzene. Its conductivity in the molten condition 



