1820.] Mr. Dalton on Snlphiric Ether. 133 



acid was as much as saturated 107 gr. in weight of dry sulphuric 

 acid = 60 gr. of carbonic acid = 17 charcoal + 43 oxygen. 

 But the oxygen spent in the combustion was ^V of 250 gr. = 

 60 o-r neaiiy, of which we find two-thirds, or rather more, m 

 the'^carbonic acid produced ; the rest must have combined with 

 the hydrogen. And the ether consumed was rather more than 

 one-lialf ot' the weight of the oxygen, which may well be sup- 

 posed to arise from a little loss by evaporation. This experiment, 

 therefore, corroborates the conclusion above obtained. 



My first idea of the ether atom, published in the table on th6 

 absorption of gases' by water in 1803,* was two atoms of carbon 

 and one of hydrogen.' This incorrect notion was formed from 

 some of ray early experiments combined with the analysis given 

 by others. M. Saussure, in his last essay on ether, has deter- 

 mined its proportions as under; which, being compared with mine, 

 are found to differ from them materially. 



Saiissure's. Wine. 



Carbon 67-98 51-9 



Oxygen 17-62 33-7 



Hydrogen 14-40 14-4 



100-00 100-0 



In the present essay I have alluded to the weight of an atom^ 

 of alcohol ; but this weight is not that given in my Chemistry, . 

 Part I. From recent experiments on the combustion of alcoho- 

 lic vapour in oxygen by electricity, as well as from the combus- 

 tion of alcohol by the platina wire lamp without flame, I beheve 

 the alcohol of 0-82 specific gravity is constituted of one atom- 

 carburetted hydrogen and one of water, as it seems to give 

 carbonic acid = half the volume of oxygen consumed, or very 

 Uttle more. But there is a remarkable difference in the results 

 when alcohol is burned in a lamp in common air. This combus- 

 tion gives carbonic acid nearly = two-thirds of the volume of 

 oxygen, and would imply alcohol to be one water and one olefiant 

 gas. At present I have not leisure to clear up this difficulty. 



Article VI. 



Calculations of Solar Eelipse to take place on S"pt. 7, 1820. 

 By Col. Beaufoy, F.R.S. 



(To Dr. Thomson.) 



MY DEAR SIR, Buthey Heath, Jan. 6, 1820. 



TiiK annular eclipse which takes place the 7th of next Sep- 

 tember will naturally engage the attention of Europe ; and it 



• Memoirs, vol. i. (Second Scries.) 



