Intelligeme and Miscellaneous Articks. 173 



It is observed, in fact, that 4 volumes of methyliac gas absorb, for 

 complete combustion, 9 volumes of oxygen, and produce 4 volumes 

 of carbonic acid, as shown approximatively by the following figures :— 



I. II. 



Methyliac gas 23-3 26-5 



Oxygen . 67-7 7-0 



Residue of combustion 49-0 5i-S 



Carbonic acid 23-2 26-0 



Nitrogen 12"^ rot 



Oxygen absorbed 54-4 o9-7 



An eleo-ant and rapid method of analysis consists in heating the 



gas with potassium in a bent tube. Cyanide of potassium is formed, 



and pure hydrogen is disengaged. ^.xti^.tj. nn ^ 



This reaction is represented by C^ H^ N + K=C'^NK + H^ Ihe 



following are some of the results obtained by this process :— 



I. n. 



Gas employed 37-5 31-5 



Hydrogen 99-0 81-5 



34 parts of this hydrogen burnt 44-8 parts of this hydrogen 



with oxvgen absorbed 17 parts of burnt with oxygen absorbed 



'° 21-7 parts of it. 



It 



In order to corroborate the results obtained by the aid of these 

 two methods, a certain quantity of methyliac gas was dissolved m 

 water • the solution was saturated with hydrochloric acid, and the 

 hydroc'hlorate precipitated by chloride of platina; there was obtained 

 a double salt of methvlamine and platina, the analysis of which gave 

 results agreeing perfectly with the formula C'^ H^ ^.—Ann. de C/nm. 

 et de Phys., Decembre 1 850. 



ON CAPROIC AND CENANTHYLIC ACIDS. 

 BY MESSRS. BRAZIER AND GOSSLETH. 



Caproic acid, discovered by M. Chevreul in the course of his inter- 

 esting researches on fatty bodies, has been met with in cocoa-nut 

 oil bv M Fehling, and prepared by MM. Kolbe and Frankland by 

 decomposing araydcyanhydric eether under the influence of potash 

 Messrs. Brazier and Gossleth have employed this last process to pro- 

 cure the caproic acid used in their researches. 



The rough acid which they thus obtained was mixed with a cer- 

 tain quantity of amylcaproic aether, easily separable by means ot a 

 solution of carbonate of potash. According to MM. Brazier and 

 Gossleth, this jether boils at 211° C. , . ■,. ,-„ ..• 



Caprone —When caproate of barytes is subjected to distillation 

 it melts and is afterwards decomposed, leaving a residue of nearly 

 pure carbonate of barytes. There condenses in the receiver a com- 

 paratively small (luantity of an oily liquid, and there is evolved du- 

 ring the operation an inflammable gas, probably formed by a mixture 



of carburetted hydrogens C" H". ^ j-«. . j * 



The condensed liquid, which is a mixture of different products, 

 contains principally the acetone of the caproic series, caprone. 



