obtained by the reactioji of 'Nitric Acid on Alcohol. 327 



during the formation of hyponitrous aether. The acid fluid 

 left in the cyhnder in Dr. Black's process, after these two 

 portions of JEther had been decanted, was set aside very loosely 

 covered with a glass plate. In the course of a few days it 

 evolved a pungent odour of acetic acid ; it was neutralized 

 with carbonate of soda, and evaporated to a small bulk; nu- 

 merous crystals of nitre appeared ; the supernatant fluid was 

 evaporated to dryness: a crystalline and exceedingly deliques- 

 cent mass resulted ; this when treated with sul{)liuiic acid 

 evolved copious fumes of acetic acid. 



I next turned my attention to the non-volatile products re- 

 sulting from the action of nitric acid on alcohol. Some of 

 the residual fluid in the retort, after preparing sp. seth. nit. on 

 the large scale, of sp. gr. 1-06, was carefully saturated with 

 carbonate of soda: the neutral fluid after being waruied to get 

 rid of carbonic acid did not trouble solutions of chloride of 

 calcium, and was therefore free from oxalic acid ; a solution 

 of acetate of lead was added until no further troubling en- 

 sued ; the copious precipitate that fell was collected, well 

 washed, and drained on a filter. This substance was dif- 

 fused through water, and submitted for twelve hours to a cur- 

 rent of sulphuretted hydrogen until no more gas was taken 

 up. The mixture was boiled and filtered. The colourless 

 fluid thus obtained was acid, but by very careful evaporation 

 did not evince any tendency to crystallize : it was divided into 

 two portions; one was carefully neutralized by ammonia and 

 the unsaturated portion added. By very careful evaporation 

 over a vapour-bath delicate acicular crystals of an acid am- 

 moniacal salt were obtained. These crystals did not contain 

 malic acid, the presence of which I had expected, for the pre- 

 cipitate their aqueous solution yielded with salts of lead did 

 not dissolve in any appreciable quantity in hot water, nor did 

 it fuse at 212°. As tar as I have examined the acid combined 

 with the ammonia in these crystals, I am disposed to regard 

 it as that which has long been confounded with malic acid, 

 viz. oxal-hydric acid, a substance produced by the action of 

 nitric acid on man} of the products of organization, often simul- 

 taneously with oxalic acid (4- C 3 H 6 O) = * C, 6 O + 3 H. 



A fresh portion of the fluid left after the distillation of 

 nitrous ;i'ther was evaporated slowly to a syrupy consistence ; 

 nitrous acid fumes appeared in abundance: the whole being 

 allowed to cool deposited in a 'i^w hours numerous crystals, 

 which were readily distinguished as those of oxalic acid. The 

 mother licjuor was decanted, and submitted to fresh evapora- 

 tion and set aside : by cooling, delicate foliaceous crystals, pos- 

 sessing the pearly lustre of cnolesterine, appeared in the fluid ; 



