392 



Royal Society : — 



crystallized sodium-alcohol, was placed in a flask of 155 cubic 

 centimetres' capacity. The neck of the flask was contracted 

 before the blosvpipe. Carbonic oxide, after slow passage through 

 potash solution, and then through sulphuric acid, was next made to 

 All the flask b)' displacement. Finally, the contracted neck of the 

 flask was closed by fusion, and thus the bulb containing sodium- 

 alcohol was inclosed in an atmosphere of pure oxide of carbon. By 

 agitation the inclosed bulb was broken, and its contents came freely 

 iu contact with the carbonic oxide contained in the flask. Particular 

 attention was paid during this stage of the process, and the fused 

 sodium-alcohol was seen flowing over the inner surface of the flask. 



After a digestion in the water-bath lasting for more than four 

 hours, the flask was opened under mercurj^ when a slight contrac- 

 tion was observed in the volume of its gaseous contents. This con- 

 traction, amounting to about one-fifth of the entire contents, was due 

 no doubt partly to absorption of carbonic oxide by traces of hydrate 

 of soda, and partly to the difference between the temperature at the 

 time of sealing before the blowpipe, and that at the time of opening 

 under mercury. 



The following are the particulars of an examination of the gas 

 contained in the flask after the four hours' digestion at 100° C. 



In order to remove any alcohol vapour, the gas was agitated with 

 about one-fifth of its volume of boiled distilled water, when it under- 

 went very little diminution in volume — a circumstance which shows 

 that no volatile liquid capable of absorption by water bad been gene- 

 rated during the reaction. 



Some of the washed gas was then treated with a potash bullet and 

 with pyrogallic acid, in order to remove any traces of carbonic acid 

 and oxygen. The amount of these gases present was very trifling, as 

 the readings show : — 



Volume of gas taken (corrected (dry) at 0° C. and 



1000 minims', pressure) G5-091 



Volume of gas after potash and pyrogallic acid 

 (corrected (dry) at 0° C. and 1000 miUims'. 

 pressure) 64v34 



After this treatment a portion of the gas was transferred to the 

 eudiometer, in which it furnished the following readings : — 



