1814.] Alcohol and Sulphuric Ether. 41 



(667*88 grains) ; but as no water was disengaged, we may suppose 

 that the gas, before it came to the pneumatic trough, was destitute 

 of bygrometrical water. In that case it would only have weighed 

 42*36 grammes (654*121 grains). The gas carried along with it a 

 yellow vapour, which appeared to consist of the liquid empyreu- 

 matic oil mentioned in the second product. It was most abundant 

 when the porcelain tube was least hot, and the distillation most 

 rapid. 



Forty-seven grammes (725*S68 grains) of sulphuric ether then, 

 when decomposed by the process here followed, produced 



Gramme.-. Grains Troy. 



Gas 42*36 654.21 



Charcoal 0*12 1*85 



Oil and pitch 3*40 5*17S 



Loss 4*12 64*63 



47*00 725*868 



This loss, which amounts to about nine per cent., and which 

 seems owing to the volatilization of an oil not ascertained, is too 

 great to enable us to draw accurate conclusions from my experi- 

 ments on the constituents of ether : but we may form an approxi- 

 mation from the analysis of the gas obtained, which amounts to 

 about nine-tenths of the whole ether decomposed. 



7- Analysis of the Oxycarlureled Hydrogen obtained ly passing 

 Ether through a red-hot Porcelain Tithe. 



The specific gravity of this gas (abstracting the small quantity of 

 carbonic acid gas above mentioned) increased when the distillation 

 was conducted with greater rapidity, and when the gas experienced 

 less heat. When this gravity was at its maximum, the cubic deci- 

 metre (61*028 cubic inches) of gas weighed 0*85808 grammes 

 (13*252 grains), at the temperature of 32°, and when the baro- 

 meter stood at 29*922 inches, and supposing it deprived of all 

 moisture : 100 measures of it mixed with 300 measures of oxygen 

 gas, when detonated over mercury, consumed 152*48 measures of 

 oxygen, and formed 101*89 measures of carbonic acid. Hence it 

 was composed by weight of the following constituents : — 



Carbon 63*86" 



Oxygen 2201 



Hydrogen 1413 



10000 



These products give us 11*21 parts of hydrogen in excess above 

 24*93 parts of water reduced to its elements. 



Two-thirds of die gas obtained by the distillation of ether had 

 Dearly the composition just stated. 



\\ lien the oxycarbureted hydrogen was lightest, the cubic deci- 



i 



