72 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 



When strongly heated it boils and distils without alteration ; its va- 

 pour smells rather like oil of almonds; it burns with a sooty flame. 

 A solution of potash produces no effect upon benzamide while 

 cold, but when they are heated together ammonia is evolved in 

 quantity: cold it has no action upon any metallic salt, but when 

 heated with a solution of iron, subbenzoate of iron is precipitated. 

 When benzamide is dissolved in a boiling powerful acid, it disap- 

 pears, benzoic acid crystallizes, and an ammoniacal salt is formed. 

 When concentrated sulphuric acid is employed, the benzoic acid 

 formed sublimes; but when diluted no action takes place. 



Benzamide was found to consist of such proportions of its ele- 

 ments as indicated its composition to be 



14 atoms carbon 107-01 18 69-73 



12 — hydrogen 8-7360 569 



2 — azote 177036 11-53 



2 — oxygen 20-0000 13-05 



100-00 

 If the vapour of benzamide be passed through a narrow red-hot 

 tube, a small portion of it is decomposed without depositing any 

 charcoal. The greater part goes over without decomposition, mixed 

 with a quantity of sweet oil already mentioned. 



Chloride of Benzoyle and Alcohol. — Chloride of benzoyle mixes 

 with alcohol in all proportions ; the mixture becomes gradually 

 warm, and eventually so hot as to boil, and evolves dense vapours of 

 muriatic acid. When the reaction is over, by the addition of water 

 an oily body separates, which is heavier than the fluid, and which 

 possesses the aromatic odour of fruit. By washing it in water and 

 treating it with chloride of calcium, it is separated from the water, 

 alcohol, and acid, which render it impure. This fluid was found to 

 be benzoic aether, composed of 



Carbon 72-529 



Hydrogen 6690 



Oxygen 20-781 



100- 



C. H. O. 



or, 1 atom anhydrous benzoic acid = 14 10 3 



and 1 atom aether , 4 10 1 



18 20 4 

 and this was found to be the composition of benzoic aether, prepared 

 by distilling a mixture of muriatic acid, benzoic acid, and alcohol. 

 The analysis of benzoic aether by Dumas, differs greatly from this 

 with respect to the hydrogen. 



Benzoine. — This substance has already been noticed by Stange: 

 it is the body mentioned in chemical works by the name of cam- 

 phoride, or camphor of oil of bitter almonds. 



This substance is formed, under certain circumstances, in oil of 

 almonds : 1st, by rectifying the oil with caustic potash ; it then re- 

 mains on the surface of the potash ; 2nd, in large quantity by 



