364 ODOROGRAPIIIA. 



having a thermometer inserted into its npper part ; the less 

 volatile portions then condense on the sides of the tube and run 

 back into the flask, vrhereby the separation of the more volatile 

 portions is greatly facilitated. 



Thus prepared, it is a transparent colourless liquid, more mobile 

 than amylic alcohol, and having an odour somewhat similar to that 

 of the latter, but more vinous. It is inactive to polarised light. 

 Its sp. gr. is 0-80o2 at 18-5 ; boiling point, 110° C. It dissolves 

 in Ih times its weight of water at 18*^ C, and is precipitated 

 therefrom as an oily layer on addition of chloride of calcium, 

 chloride of sodium or any other easily soluble salt. It is converted 

 by caustic potash in a state of fusion into butyric acid, with 

 evolution of hydrogen and formation of a hydrate. 



It has since been shown that this common butyl alcohol gives 

 iso-ljutyric acid by oxidation with dilute chromic acid, it is 

 therefore considered to be an iso-alcohol. It is contained in 

 Isopropyl carlinol {Iso-primary 'butyl cdcolwl), which has been 

 thoroughly examined by Chapman and Smith.* Its boiling point 

 is 109° C, being sensibly lower than that of the normal alcohol. 

 Its sp. gr. is 0-8055 at 16*8. It dissolves 1 atom of sodium, but 

 slowly, and only on brisk agitation and warming ; but calcium 

 chloride, potassium acetate and potassium hydrate are dissolved by 

 it with facility. It mixes easily w^ith glacial acetic acid and with 

 the same acid diluted with twice its bulk of water. 



In Watts' Dictionary of Chemistry, 1st supp., p. 372, it is 

 stated, in reference to the butyl alcohols : — " There are two 

 varieties of primary butyl alcohol, viz., Propyl-carbinol and 

 Isopropyl-carbinol. Propyl-carbinol, or Xormal primary hutyl 

 alcohol, is comparatively little known, and has not hitherto been 

 found as a natural product."-}- It was obtained synthetically by 

 Schoyen:|: from ethyl gas by submitting it to the action of chlorine 

 and subsequent conversion of the resulting alcohol. A much more 

 complete investigation of the compound was published by Lieben 

 and Eossi.§ These chemists first prepared butyric aldehyde by 

 treating a mixture of butyrate and formate of calcium. From the 



* Journ. Chem. Soc. [2], vii., p. 155. 



t This paragraph Mas, of course, written hefore Ordonneau's paper in the 

 C'oniptes Rendus above quoted, was published. 

 t Ann. Chem. Pharni., cxxx., p. 235. 

 § Comptes Kendus, Ixviii., p. 1561, et seq. 



