MARCELIN BERTHELOT—MATIGNON. 673 
In his work “ Chimie organique fondée sur la synthése,” Berthelot 
published the collective results of his researches and at the same time 
he explained the methods that should be followed in solving the syn- 
thetic problem in the series not then studied. He presented a general 
view of organic products, and in order to classify them, introduced 
the theory of function. He had previously, in the case of glycerine, 
shown that the molecule of that substance possesses three times the 
alcoholic function and likewise introduced the idea of polyatomic 
alcohols and polyalcohols. 
Berthelot employed electric energy in its most varied forms to 
bring about the combination or to destroy the composition of sub- 
stances. The electric arc enabled him to effect the simplest, the most 
unexpected, and the most fertile of organic syntheses, that of acety- 
lene. An are flashing in an atmosphere of hydrogen partially trans- 
formed this hydrogen into acetylene, for the carbonic vapor which 
constituted the arc through its high temperature of 3,500 degrees 
united directly with the gaseous element. Carburetted hydrogen, 
stable at the highest temperature reached, became, on the contrary, un- 
stable at about its ordinary temperature; it only had to be compressed 
to above two atmospheres for it to decompose with an explosion, 
under the influence of a spark, into its two elements, carbon and 
hydrogen. If, on the contrary, it is heated gradually toward 400 
degrees, the same acetylene returns to its stable form, carbon and 
hydrogen, passing through a series of intermediate terms, benzol, 
toluol, naphthalene, anthracene, etc., carburets poorer and poorer in 
hydrogen, the limit of which will be charcoal. These new carburets 
constitute the starting point in preparing coloring matters, perfumes, 
substitutes for sugar, new explosives, ete. It is possible to combine 
again with acetylene, by the aid ef simple reactions, ethylene, ethane, 
oxalic and acetic acids, alcohol, etc. Thus by heating the carburet 
with its hydrogen, ethylene is generated, capable of fixing water in 
the presence of sulphuric acid to form alcohol. The entire synthesis 
of this immediate threefold principle is thus realized from its three 
constituent elements, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. 
The electric spark is likewise useful in synthetic chemistry. For 
example, the sparks produce hydrocyanic acid when nitrogen is 
placed in the presence of acetylene, or, generally, of any hydrocarbon 
vapor whatever. 
The electric current passing into a.conducting solution permits 
the obtaining of products of oxidation at the anode and products 
of reduction at the cathode. The sulphuric solution itself peroxidizes 
in giving a new substance, persulphuric acid, the existence of which 
was at first doubted by several chemists who had not experimented, 
until persulphates became industrial products. 
