^a Preparation of Ether hj the Muriatic Acid. 



ether mufl have given a preference, the motives of which 

 are not difficult to be difcovered, to a certain procefs which 

 prefcribes that the alcohol fliould be mixed with the fulphuric 

 acid before this acid is poured over the two other ingredients, 

 muriat of foda and oxyd of manganefe. There is formed by 

 the aid of the heat which is excited in this mixture, as 

 Fourcroy and Vauquelin obferved, a quantity of ether by the 

 fulphuric acid, which firft paffes in the diftillation, and which 

 fuffers itfelf to be fcparated with more certainty, being Icfs 

 liable to be attacked by the oxydating principle than marine 

 ether. This fulphuric ether muft have often been confidered 

 by inexperienced judges as real muriatic ether; from which, 

 however, it differs by a fmell and tafte peculiar to itfelf. 



In this ftate of the fcience refpc6ling the preparation of 

 marine ether, I have thought it my duty to communicate to 

 the Society a procefs which removes every difficulty in this 

 preparation. 



Place in a fand-bath, gently heated, the retort of Woulfe's 

 apparatus as improved by Lavoifier, and eompofed only of a 

 balloon and two bottles : introduce into it i.oo of any weight 

 of the muriat of foda, perfeftly dry ; and in the receiver and 

 the two bottles diftributc the fame weight of good alcohol. 

 After having exaclly luted the joinings, and furniflied the 

 laft bottle with a tube of fafety, pour upon the fait in the 

 retort 0'50 of concentrated fulphuric acid, and leave the ope- 

 ration to proceed cold for five or fix hours. Then make a 

 moderate fire, which muft be augmented by degrees, to bring 

 the bottom of the capfule of the bath to a flight degree of red 

 heat. The muriatic acid in the natural ftate is gafeous : in 

 that fl:ate it pafl'es over and difl"olves in the alcohol. It is of 

 benefit in this operation to plunge the tubes of communica- 

 tion to J. certain depth in the alcohol, that the gas may ex- 

 perience a condcnfation, which greatly contributes to its ab- 

 forption. This difpofition of the tubes, when the difengage- 

 nient is rapid, makes the alcohol fometimes pafs from the 

 one bottle into the other; in which cafe the poCtion of the 

 bottles muft be changed in fuch a manner as to make that 

 which contains the greater quantity of liquid to communi- 

 cate with the receiver. It may readily be conceived that this 

 9 paflagc 



