268 Action of Sulphuric Acid on Alcohol. 
In this state it < ob and if kept in a closed bottle, it 
undergoes no altera 
M. Sear je conclnes that the green color is owing to the 
absence of air. It has a peculiar, penetrating, aromatic 
odor, a fresh, ha taste, somone bitter, resembling mint ; 
its specific gravity is 1.133; it is slightly soluble in water, 
alcohol and ether dissolve it easily, and from these solutions 
it can again be abstracted. 
aced under water, at the end of a certain time, it is 
transformed into a light oil, (sweet oil) which rises to the 
surface, and into an ve sulphat e of carbonated hydrogen 
which remains in solut 
he light oil is en ; left at rest it deposits crystals of 
the same nature as itse 
This separation of the neutral sulphate, into an acid sul- 
_ phate and sweet oil, may be hastened by oe it with 
water. In this case a few minutes are suflicie 
The most remarkable property of this ead sulphate of 
carbonated hydrogen is that of being transformed by ebulli- 
pve into sulphuric acid and alcohol, without any disengage- 
ent of sulphurous acid or gas of any kind. 
o This acid sulphate of carbonated hydrogen has been hith- 
erto considered as a sulpho-vinic or hypo-sulphuric acid, uni- 
ted to some vegetable matter 
us, my analyses of the neutral sulphate, incline me to 
regard it as a double sulphate of ether and carbonated hy- 
drogen. 
When treated with bases, it abandons, as with water, the 
sweet oil, and forms with them, salts which have been called 
sulpho-vinates, but which must be considered, as Faraday 
= Hennell first advanced, only as salts with a double base, 
ne of which is the carbonated hydrogen. 
his oil, observed i in the decomposition of re seth 
the nature of which no one has hitherto pointed out, 
other than the neutral sulphate of carbonated ydbouent ab 
= aie in such cases in large quantity ; so that | may recom- 
d this as a method to be employed in the preparation of 
the neutral sulphate and consequently of the sweet oil. - For 
this purpose, we may heat for a few moments, without dis- 
tillation, equal parts of alcohol at 38° and sulphuric acid ; if 
mass is considerable, the elevation oe Bi giv serrb ee on 
mixing will be sufficient, for even in the obtain a 
certain quantity: Saturate with clear ee water (bouillie 
