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carbon dioxide with a slight elevation of temperature. The quantity 

 amounts to about ^/g of the carbon dioxide actually present, «at least 

 if account is taken of the comparatively large solubility of that gas 

 in acetone. The acetone, or if the niixtiu-e is extracted with ether, 

 also the ether, contains a quantity of phenol 'corresponding with the 

 total amount obtainable from the sodium phenylcarbonate. The undis- 

 solved mass consists of a mixture of neutral and acid sodium 

 carbonate, nearly, or exactly in equivalent proportions. The decom- 

 position of 3 C^H^OCOONa to 3 C,H,OH + C(3, + NaHC03 + Na.CO, 

 requires 2 mols. of water. As the experiments however, have been 

 made in a specially constructed apparatus into which no moisture 

 or moist air could enter, witli extremely carefully dried acetone, we 

 are bound to admit that this water has been generated by the acetone, 

 and we may, therefore, expect a condensation product of the acetone 

 which, however, could not be isolated, owing to the small quantities 

 of materials used in the experiments. It seems strange that in 

 this reaction the evolution of carbon dioxide is so extraordinarily 

 violent. 



Sodium salicylate dissolves in acetone from which it crystallises, 

 with or without addition of petroleum ether, in small needles, which 

 may contain one mol. of acetone of crystallisation. In different deter- 

 minations the acetone content was found to vary from one-half to 

 a full molecule. At iQ^ it dissolves in about 21 parts of acetone. 



Disodiuin salicylate was prepared by adding an (957o) alcoholic 

 solution of salicylic acid to a concentrated solution of sodium 

 ethoxide in alcohol of the same strength. After a few moments it 

 crystallises in delicate, white needles. By boiling with acetone in 

 which it is entirely insoluble it may be freed from admixed mono- 

 sodium salicylate. 



The behaviour of acetone \y\{\\ these substances now being known, 

 the experiment of heating the sodium phenylcarbonate for 100 hours 

 was once more repeated, without giving, however any further results. 

 A portion was treated with acetone in the same apparatus which 

 had been used for the sodium phenylcarbonate. A quantity of carbon 

 dioxide was collected corresponding with an amount of unchanged 

 sodium phenylcarbonate representing 50 — 60 7o of the reaction- 

 product. Another portion was extracted with ether and yielded about 

 20 7o of phenol whilst, finally, a small amount of sodium salicylate 

 was also found. The residue which had been extracted with ether 

 and acetone contained sodium carbonate but no disodium-salicylate. 

 It, however, contained |)hcnol, j)i'obal)ly from sodium phonohite. 



It seems strange there is such a large quantity of free phenol 



