438 Dr. Debus on the Action of Caustic Potash 



can confirm. It is an oily liquid, heavier than, but soluble in 

 water in all proportions, bas a sweet taste, which its aqueous 

 solution also shares. A glass rod dipped in the liquid takes 

 fire with great difiiculty, burning with a pale blue flame like that 

 of alcohol. It is perfectly neutral to litmus and turmeric papers ; 

 it leaves an oil-spot on paper, which disappears after some time. 



"When bromide of ethylene is boiled with an alcoholic solution 

 of acetate of potash in an open flask, an action takes place, and 

 bromide of potassium is formed, but the ebuUition soon becomes 

 so violent that it is necessary to discontinue the operation. 



Iodide of ethylene, when treated with acetate of potash in a 

 closed vessel, undergoes a difi'erent decomposition. A large 

 quantity of iodide of potassium is formed, and some iodoform, 

 but no glycol compound. 



Chloroform enclosed in a tube with acetate of potash had only 

 a slight action when heated for some time to 100" C. On being 

 heated to 150*^ C. the tube exploded. Bromoform and iodoform 

 have also very little action at 100"^ C, and were not tried at a 

 higher temperature. 



These experiments were made in the laboratory at Queenwood 

 College. 



Queenwood College, near Stockbridge, 

 Hants, October 1858. 



LI. On the Action of Caustic Potash on Glijcerate of Potash. 

 By Dr. H. Debus*. 



I II AVE shown on another occasion f that some of the salts 

 of glyoxylic acid are decomposed, by treatment with solu- 

 tion of potash or caustic lime, into combinations of glycolic and 

 oxalic acids % : — 



2(C2H3K04) + KII0=C2K2 04-fC2H3K03-}-2H«0. 



Glyoxylate of Oxalate Glycolate 



potash. of potash. of potash. 



Glyceric acid, which is homologous with glyoxylic acid, might 

 under similar conditions be resolved according to the equation 

 2 (C3 H^ KO^) + KHO = C3 H^ K^ O"* + C^ W> KO^ + 2 H^ O, 



Glycerate of Lactate of 



potash. potash, 



into lactate of potash, and the jjotash salt of an acid (C^ 11"* 0^) 

 homologous with oxalic acid. 



* Communicated by the Author. 



t Pbil. Mag. November 1856, and January 1857. 



: C=12, 11=1, 0=16. 



