HEINRICII ROSE ON .'ETHERIFICATION. 383 



ric acid, a great affinity to water, such as the hydrate of potash, 

 chloride of calcium, ike, are not able to transform alcohol into 

 aether; but this objection now falls entirely to the ground, as we 

 know that the tether is not formed by any subtraction of water, 

 but by the decomposition of the sulphovinic acid. 



If aether is regarded as a base, then all the theories on the 

 formation of aether are not capable of satisfactorily explaining 

 how a base is discharged from a strongly acid liquid, and by a 

 powerful acid. It is only by the present explanation, and by 

 the analogy which the separation of aether from sulphovinic 

 acid bears to the decomposition of several inorganic salts by 

 means of water, and also by the above-mentioned analogy of 

 aether with a series of oxides which do not, or to a very slight 

 extent, combine with acids, that this phaenomenon loses its 

 anomalous appearance. 



It seems to me highly desirable in organic chemistry, to illus- 

 trate its processes always as much as possible by analogous 

 processes in inorganic chemistry. The greatest advantages have 

 accrued to organic chemistry by the endeavours of Berzelius, 

 Liebig, and Dumas, who have pursued this path, frequently 

 starting, it is true, from very different views. 



It is certainly advantageous in so imperfect a science as che- 

 mistry, and especially organic chemistry, to ascribe provisionally 

 to a common force all pheenomena Avhich stand isolated, for 

 which no suitable analogues can be detected, and which on this 

 account appear wonderful, and thus openly to admit that in the 

 present state of science it is better to avoid explaining a process 

 altogether, than to explain it by some artifice or in a constrained 

 manner. The smaller the number of phajnomena which we are 

 compelled to refer to this class, the more perfect the science be- 

 comes. 



Setting out from this point of view, I have ventured to ex- 

 plain a process in organic chemistry, which has long, and jjarti- 

 cularly of late years, engaged the attention of chemists, as being 

 analogous to several processes in inorganic chemistry ; and if 

 the explanation should not give general satisfaction, the attempt 

 to attain so important an object, will, I trust, meet with appro- 

 bation. 



The present theory is valid, it is true, only for the formation 

 of aether from a mixture of alcohol and sulphuric acid; but 

 quite a similar one may undoubtedly be advanced for the forma- 



