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XXI. Memoir upon the Acetic Acid. By M. Troms- 
DORFE. ' 
Tas memoir has for its object to ascertain if, as M. Proust 
has asserted, azote forms any part of the acetic acid. . 
The author, after having considered what is at present 
known on the composition of ammonia and the vegetable 
acids, was much surprised to find in M. Proust’s memoir 
that this chemist had found ammonia and prussic acid in 
the composition of acetates. The author of the present me- 
moir, notwithstanding the exactitude and sagacity of the 
chemist of Madrid, was anxious to ascertain the existence 
of azote in the concentrated acid from his own experiments, 
and he was directed to the research by the love of truth and 
the importance of the fact. 
Before giving the processes employed by M. Tromsdorff 
to attain the object he proposed to himself, we shall give 
a summary of the objections which presented themselves to 
M. Proust’s theory. 
If, says M. Tromsdorff, by the distillation of acetates 
ammonia is formed, it is evident that azote ‘is contained 
therein: But where could this principle come from? Could 
it be from the alkaline base? But that is not the case; for, 
according to M. Proust, the ammonia has also been ex- 
tracted from the acetate of lead. In this case it can only be 
furnished by the acetic acid; or it must be said that azote 
is only hydrogen modified. 
The-author afterwards examines if among the vegetable 
acids azote is met with as frequently as in the animal acids ; 
because, if that was the case, the classification of it must 
fall to be changed. In order to repeat the experiments of 
M. Proust, it appeared essential to the author to employ 
only the purest substances. 
Thus, in order to obtain the acetic acid im the greatest 
degree of purity possible, he decomposed the acetate of pot- 
ash by the sulphuric acid; he afterwards saturated this acid 
by carbonate of soda finely purified, and evaporated in a silver 
* Extracted from the Journal de Berlin, 
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