206 Notices of the Labours of Continental Chemists. 



gave hydrogen, and in the residue formic and acetic acids; a 

 glycerinic acid could not be obtained. 



Aceton is decomposed into carbonic acid and marsh gas, 

 as Persoz has already stated. 



By passing the vapours of aldehyd over the heated lime- 

 potassa, hydrogen is developed, and the residue contains a 

 large proportion of acetic acid, C' H^ O- lose H and takes 

 = 0* H' O^ ; aldehyd therefore resembles the oil of bitter 

 almonds. 



Oxalic cether treated with potash gives hydrogen and acetic 

 and carbonic acids; oxalate of potash and alcohol are first 

 formed, out of these are produced carbonate of potash, acetic 

 acid, and free hydrogen. Acetic pether gives hydrogen and 

 acetic acid ; benzoic £Ether gives hydrogen, benzoic and acetic 

 acids; iodide of ethyl gives iodide of potassium and olefiant gas, 



C* H' I- + k = C* H* + k P + H O*. This aether forms 

 with chlorine; chloride of ethyl and iodine is separated, 



* E F is exactly similar to R F. Chloride of aethyl gives 



water, olefiant gas, and chloride of potassium; the vapour 

 treated with ammonia gives chloride of ammonium and ole- 

 fiant gas, C* H' C!^ + N H» = O H' + N H^ CI. Com- 

 mon aether gives carbonic acid, marsh gas, and hydrogen ; 

 treated with chromate of potash and sulphuric acid it forms 

 acetic acid. 



Acetate of maethyl-oxide gives hydrogen, formic and acetic 

 acids ; chloride of msethyl gives hydrogen, chloride of po- 

 tassium and formic acid, which is afterwards decomposed, 

 C^H'Cl + KO + H^O = C^H 03+ KCl + H^ Oxide 

 of methyl gives hydrogen and formic acid. When the va- 

 pour of alcohol is passed over heated baryta, the following 

 decompositions take place : first, hydrate of baryta and ole- 

 fiant gas are formed ; in the second stage, the produced hy- 

 drate decomposes the alcohol into acetic acid and hydrogen ; 

 and in the third, the acetate of baryta forms carbonate and 

 marsh o-as. The gas given off contains olefiant gas, marsh 

 eras, and hydrogen, and perhaps some carbonic oxide. 



It appears, therefore, that several alcohols are capable of 

 producing their own peculiar acid. According to the re- 

 searches of the late M. Delalande, camphor when treated with 



* I do not know whether this method of writing organic bodies is known 

 in England. Berzelius proposes to write the carbon above, the hydrogen 

 below, the nitrogen in the middle; the oxygen to be expressed by dots, as 



before. Tartaric acid is ]* f , Benzoic J^ Bz, &c., &c.— H. C. 



