
AND SOME OF ITS DERIVATIVES. 405 
acid. Accordingly, bromine water was poured upon powdered meconic acid; lively 
effervescence took place, which was found to result from the evolution of carbonic 
acid, and complete solution subsequently ensued. The fluid, when left at rest a 
considerable time, deposited a few long prismatic crystals of great beauty, a much 
more copious product was obtained by gentle evaporation. Recrystallisation 
from hot water gave groups of brilliant square prismatic crystals, of which, 
6°787 grains, dried at 212°, gave, when burnt with lime, 
(5480 .., bromide of silver. 
This experiment gives a per-centage of 34°36 bromine: 34:04 is that corre- 
sponding to the formula of dry bromocomenic acid, 
H 
2 HO, C,, { = } 0, 
The nature of the reaction is seen in the equation 
C,, H, 0,,+2Br=C,, ‘ren 0,, + HBr +20, 
Crystals of oxalic acid were obtained by evaporating the original mother liquors 
to a small bulk. 
Ethers of Meconic Acid. 
When absolute alcohol is poured upon meconic acid, and the mixture is agi- 
tated, partial solution takes place, accompanied by a considerable fall in tempe- 
rature, amounting to about 10° or 12° Fahr.: application of a gentle heat causes 
complete solution. A stream of hydrochloric acid gas passed through the fluid 
is attended by the usual result observed in these cases, the formation of an ether 
compound; but in this instance more than one of such substances are pro- 
duced, and the relative proportion of the individual products depends on the 
amount of acid gas and the strength of the alcohol employed ; I say the strength 
of the alcohol, because rectified spirit serves to produce etherification, and I have 
employed it, but have found it disadvantageous, because whenever I did so, I 
observed the formation of an uncrystalline compound which very much impeded 
the purification of the other substances. The large amount of water of crystal- 
lisation of meconic acid, amounting to fully 25 per cent., tends to dilute the alco- 
hol, and I have sometimes dried the acid at 212° Fahr. before using it, and found 
this a good plan when working with rectified spirit. 
The results I have observed may be stated in a few words as preface to the 
description of the individual products; when a current of dry hydrochloric acid 
gas is passed through an alcoholic solution of meconic acid till it fumes strongly, 
and the fluid is set aside to cool, there appears, after a shorter or longer time, 
according to the circumstances above referred to, a deposit in feathery crystals ; 
the fluid filtered from this, where absolute alcohol has been used, gives no further 
deposit; but, in the case of rectified spirit, another less crystalline substance ap- 
VOL. XX. PART Il. SR 
