of Sulphuric Acid a?id Alcohol. S45 



quantity of unaltered acid and alcohol ; for in such a mixture 

 three-fifths (4.) of the sulphuric acid would be converted into 

 sulphovinic acid by combination with the hydro-carbon of less 

 than one-third of the alcohol employed. I next proceeded to 

 ascertain, whether, when no alcohol was present, aether would 

 be produced. A quantity of the sulphovinate of potash was 

 therefore prepared. The composition of this salt has been 

 o-iven in the paper in the Philosophical Transactions before 

 referred to, and one hundred parts contain SS-S^ of potash. 

 Five hundred grains were mixed with 150 grains of sulphuric 

 acid, being nearly the equivalent of the potash in the salt, and 

 then heat°applied. The experiment therefore may be consi- 

 dered as the distillation of sulphovinic acid mixed with sul- 

 phate of potash, which it may be presumed remained inert 

 during the process, and also with the water of the acid and of 

 the satt. The proportion of water, it is found, has an import- 

 ant influence; but in the present experiment about a drachm 

 of fluid distilled over, and left a blackened and acid salt in the 

 retort, having the smell of sulphurous acid. A few grains of 

 carbonate of potash being added to the distilled product, abs- 

 tracted a little water: the clear decanted liquor was then mixed 

 with a little dry muriate of lime, and by agitation separated 

 into two portions ; the upper one being decanted, amounted 

 to nearly half a drachm, and was found to be pure aether. 

 This result proves that asther may be formed from a sulpho- 

 vinate or s'alphovinic acid when no alcohol is present. 



9. An experiment similar to the last in the nature and pro- 

 portions of the substances used, was made, except that the 

 sulphovinate was dissolved in its own weight of water previous 

 to the addition of the sulphuric acid. The experiment is one 

 therefore of the distillation of dilute sulphovinous acid, in place 

 of that which is concentrated. The distilled product had no 

 smell of eether, nor could any be discovered in it. About nine 

 fluid draclims were obtained ; to these, carbonate of potash 

 was added, which separated the water, and left three drachms 

 of a supernatant liquid, appearing by taste, smell and flame, 

 to be alcohol : this was decanted, and poured upon muriate of 

 lime : no a;ther separated, but the whole formed one solution ; 

 being distilled from the muriate it was evidently alcohol; and 

 being mixed with its weight of sulphuric acid, gave sulphuric 

 tt-'ther or sulphovinic acici again. 



In this experiment there was no charring of the contents of 

 the retort; and by precipitation by acetate of lead, the whole 

 of the sulphuric acid was obtained ;— not only the portion 

 added to decompose the salt, but the double portion evolved 



N. S. Vol. G. No. 35. Nov. 1829. 2 Y from 



