Dr. Butlerow on Dioxymethylene, 287 



Eveu if these compounds did not exist, it would still be allowable 

 to consider lactic acid as biatomic, if not bibasic ; for by simple 

 dehydration it forms au anhydride, and it also forms a diatomic 

 chloride, which, by appropriate treatment, regenerates the acid. 

 The basicity of an acid is not to be determined with exclusive 

 reference to its capacity of saturation. Salicylic acid, according 

 to J-'iria, is bibasic, yet it exchanges one of its atoms for metal 

 with far greater difficulty than the other. 



Wurtz has found that in lactic acid a second atom of hydrogen 

 may be readily replaced by au acid radical. By heating chloro- 

 lactic ether with butyrate of potash, au oily liquid is obtained 

 boiling at 210°, insoluble in water but soluble in alcohol, and 

 with au odour resembling butyric acid. It has the composition 

 QisppGQs. j|. ig lactobutyric ether, or lactic acid, in which one 

 atom of hydrogen is i-eplaced by ethyle and another by butyryle. 

 Its formation is as follows : — 



CI C IP J 



Chlorolactic Butyrate of Lactobutyric ether, 



ether. potash. 



In lactobutyric other the group (C^ H^ 0^) 0^, which is equiva- 

 lent to peroxide of hydrogen, is substituted for the chlorine of 

 chlorol.actic ether; just as in lactic ether the group C^IPO^ 

 replaces the same chlorine. 



The two reactions exerted by the product of the action of chlo- 

 ride of lactyle on alcohol, indicate that the composition of this 

 body may be expressed by two rational formulas. In some cases, as 

 Ulrich has shown, it is converted into compounds of the propionic 

 acid series, in others it gives rise to true derivatives of lactic acid. 

 Hence the names chloropropionic ether or chlorolactic ether may 

 be given to it, according to the reactions it is desired to express. 



In the one case its formula would be C'lP I ^^' ^^ *^^ 



other c^H^J 

 CI 



Wurtz is still engaged with the further study of lactobutyric 

 acid, which appears to have a composition analogous to Strccker 

 and SocolofT's bcnzoglycolic and bcnzolactic acids. 



Ey the action of iodoform on sodium-alcohol, Butlerow ob- 

 tained the iodide of methylene, C^ H^ P, the homologue of iodide 

 of ethylene, C'* IP P ; and by acting with it on acetate of silver, 

 he obtained the acetate of mctbyloglycol. From this substance 



