Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 54.3 



E. Solly, Jun., their Chemical Analyser ; Mr. Southey ; Mr. Gibson, 

 of the Bombay Medical Establishment ; Mr. Heath, of the Indian 

 Iron and Steel Company ; Mr. Hughes, of Tinnivelly ; Mr. Sievier, 

 Superintending Manager of the London Caoutchouc Company ; Drs. 

 Cantor, Lush, and Geddes, &c. 



We look forward with great interest to the publication entire of 

 the papers which have been communicated to this Committee ; and 

 we hope that it will meet with that encouragement which the im- 

 portance of its objects entitles it to expect. 



SEPARATION OF ETHYLE (eTHULE, ETHEREUM, = 4 C +5 H.) 

 BY C. LOWIG. 



Small pieces of potassium are placed in a glass tube 3 to 5 lines 

 ■wide containing chloride of ethyle ; a powerful action ensues, and 

 the metal becomes covered with a white crust, which should be 

 broken up so as to cause a fresh metallic surface to be exposed to 

 the action of the fluid. The mixture soon begins to boil : a tube 

 bent at right angles should be fixed in the mouth of the large one, 

 to connect it with a receiver kept cool by a freezing mixture ; 

 chloride of ethyle unmixed with any other product distils over. 

 Ultimately, if sufficient chloride were present, all the potassium be- 

 comes converted into the white crust ; if this be exposed to heat, it 

 gives off an inflammable gas, becomes black, and by exposure to air 

 undergoes rapid combustion. 



When the white crust is placed in water it dissolves, hydrogen 

 gas being evolved ; on agitating the watery solution with aether, 

 and decanting the sethereal solution, a volatile, oily fluid is obtained 

 by evaporating it in vacuo at a low temperature. This fluid burns 

 with a vivid flame, has a peculiar soap-like odour, and very acrid 

 taste. 



On submitting the white powder obtained by the action of potas- 

 sium on chloride of ethyle to analysis by combustion with oxide of 

 copper, it yields, 



0'S70 carbonic acid = 0"2405 carbon, 

 0-450 water = 0-0500 hydrogen ; 



and 100 parts will consequently consist of 



Carbon 82-79 



Hydrogen 17-21 100- 



or, 4 atoms carbon 305-741 4 atoms carbon 24 



10 atoms hydrogen ^52-40 J ' 5 atoms hydrogen 5 



atoms of ethyle 368-14 atoms of ethyle 29 



equivalent to 83-05 carbon, 



16-95 hygrogen, 



100- 

 which approaches very closely to the result of experiment. 



From these experiments Liiwig concludes, that by the action of 

 potassium on chloride of ethyle, chloride and ethijlide of potassium 

 \Aethylkulivin) are formed, the latter combination being decomposed 



