[ 453 ] 



LVI. Chemical Notices from Foreign Journals. 



By E. Atkinson, Ph.D. 



[Continued from p. 303.] 



THREE gases are known which have the composition C^H^ CI. 

 One is prepai-ed by the action of hydrochloric acid on wood- 

 spirit ; another was prepared by Bunsen by heating basic per- 

 chloride of kakodyle; and a third was obtained by Kolbe and 

 Varrentrapp, by the action of hght on a mixture of equal volumes 

 of chlorine and marsh-gas. The first has always been considered 

 to be true chloride of methyle. Bunsen's gas, although it has 

 similar physical properties, was held by Gerhardt to be marsh- 

 gas, C^ H*, in which one equivalent of hydrogen was replaced by 

 chlorine. 



Baeyr* endeavoured to decide this question by determining 

 the coefficient of absorption f of the various gases. The gas 

 from kakodyle had for water, the coefficient of absorption — 



At 7° . . . 5-304 



At 14° . . . 4-173 



At 20° • . . 3-462 



At 25° . . . 3-034 



Below +6° C. the gas forms a solid colourless hydrate, crystal- 

 lizing in rhombic JDrisms, which has some similarity with hydrate 

 of chlorine. Chloride of methyle from wood-spirit forms like- 

 wise the same hydrate, and has the same coefficient of absorption ; 

 these two gases are therefore identical. The hydrate forms a 

 very convenient means of obtaining the pure gas, as otherwise 

 it always contains traces of oxide of methyle. 



The absorptiometric determinations of the body from marsh- 

 gas gave not entirely accordant results, which probably arose 

 from its containing a little hydrogen. The coefficient for 14° 

 was found to be in the mean 008, or one-fiftieth that of the 

 others. As, further, this gas forms no hydrate, it is certain 

 that it is a different body from the others, which are chloride of 

 methyle. 



BerthelotJ has recently effected the synthesis of wood- 

 spirit Ijy means of this substitution-product of marsh-gas. He 

 states that, under the influence of suitable agents, it fixes the 

 elements of water, loses hydrochloric acid, and becomes changed 

 into wood-spirit, 



C2 H3 CI -I- 2H0 - HCl = C2 H" 02. 



To obtain the gas, closely stoppered flasks of 1 litre capacity, 



* Liubig's Annalcn, August 1857. t'Phil. Mag. vol. ix. p. lUi. 



J (JotiijiU's Rendus, November 30, 1857. Annuks de Chimie et de 

 Physique, January 1858. 



