Of the Action of Vegetable Acids on Alcohol. 433 



known, which can present as this or any analogous pha- 

 nonienon. 



But when, instead of placing the vegetable acids in con- 

 tact with the alcohol, they are put at the same time in con- 

 tact with this liquid and one of the mineral acids, strong 

 and concentrated new combinations of very remarkable na- 

 tures may be foinjed with ail of them, as the following 

 experiments are intended to show. 



Experiment I. — 1 took 30 grammes of benzoic acid dis- 

 solved in fio grammes of alcohol, I introduced the solution 

 into a tu!)ulated retort, and added 15 grammes of concen- 

 trated muriatic acid; tiicn having adapted a tubulated bal- 

 loon to the neck of the retort, and a hent tal)e to the tu- 

 bulure of the balloon, I commenced the distillation, and 

 stopped it when nearly two-thirds over. 



Durmg the whole experiment no gas^ but common air 

 and slight traces of muriatic acid were disengaged. The 

 first portions of the product distilled consisted .solely of al- 

 cohol ; but the last coutamed a peculiar kind of matter se- 

 parable from the alcohol bv water: there was much of it 

 in the bottom of the retort, where it had been condensed 

 by llie cold; and as it was covered by a mixture of alcohol, 

 water, nmriatic and benzoic acids, I purified it by de- 

 caniation, and by washing it with warm water, in which . 

 it was very slightly soluble. Thus purified, it was of a 

 yellowish colour, rather heavier than water, pungent, fu- 

 siiile from the temperature of 23 to SO, volatile nearly at 

 80, acid, oily, almost insoluble in cold water, less in boil- 

 ing water, fronj which it precipitated itself on cooling, 

 and very soluble in alcohol, from which water separated it. 

 It evidently contained the benzoic acid, for to this acid it 

 owed its property of reddening tincture of turnsole. Neu- 

 tralized by an alkaline solution it was white, and always 

 sharp and odorous; it constantly showed most of the pre- 

 ccdmg properties, and was generally ])erfeclly liquid at the 

 ordinary teinjierature : lastly, when long agitated in a so- 

 lution of caustic potash, it disappeared without ennttinganj'' 

 gas ; and the solution examined, presented no traces of 

 muriatic acid, and nothing absolutely but benzoic acid and 

 alcohol could be recovered. 



This matter then which presents itself to us in an oilv 

 state, in which a)ip3rently there is no acid, is formed by 

 a peculiar combination of alcohol and benzoic acid ; yet it 

 cm be obtained neither by repeatedly distilling togeiher 

 benzoic acid and alcohol, neither by precipitating by water 

 lUe benzoic acid from its BoliUiou in alcohol, nor by 



Vol, M. iSo. 140. Dcf. 1509. E e slrungly 



