222 On the Action of the Vegetable Acids on Alcohol. 
Experiment 111. — When we employ less than five 
grammes of concentrated sulphuric acid, in order to con- 
vert 20 grammes of acetic acid into ether, the experiment 
has but a partial success. / 
The success of the experiment is partial also when the 
sulphuric acid is diluted with water: it would be completely 
unsuccessful if the acid contained much water. 
Experiment 1V.— When we use concentrated nitric or 
muriatic acid for the conversion of acetic acid into acetic 
ether, more of them is requisite than of sulphuric acid, and 
sull more in proportion as they are diluted with water. 
Experiment V.—The phosphorous acid, brought to a 
syrupy consistency, also facilitates very much the formation 
of the’ acetic ether; but the quantity of this acid must be 
equal at least to two-thirds of the quantity of acetic acid, 
in order that the whole of the Jatter may disappear upon 
the first distillation. 
Experiment V1.—The arsenic and oxalic acids favour 
ihe formation of the acetic ether in a very slight degree. 
Experiment V1] —The tartarous acid does not favour it. 
Experiment VIII.—The sulpburous acid gas does not 
favour it, although it is extremely soluble.in alcoliol, and 
although it produces much heat on being dissclved in it. 
Experiment 1X.—It is the same case with the phosphoric 
acid; but it is because this acid is insoluble, or scarcely 
soluble, in alcohol. 
If we examine the result of these experiments, we see that 
all the acids which can condense alcohol favour the forma- 
tion of the acetic ether, and that they favour it the more, 
the more strongly they condense alcohol. For _this reason, 
the sulphuric acid favours it most, and the tartarous acid 
does not favour it sensibly ; and when the sulphuric acid 
itself is too much diluted with water, it is in the situation 
of the tartarous acid. We must therefore suppose that, 
when the alcohol has been thus condensed by an acid, the 
acetic acid seizes it, and constitutes the acetic ether, com- 
bining in a particular manner with it. Now we cannot 
but admit a similarity of action in the strongly concentrated 
acids, either in producing the acetic ether or in combining 
ihe other vegetable acids with alcohol: consequently in the 
whole series of combinations which we have observed, and 
which would not have taken place without a powerful mi- 
neral acid, this mineral acid only acts by condensing the 
alcohol, and by bringing it to the state at which this body 
may be united with the vegetable acid. 
o. 
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We 
