4-1 On the Composition of [J fly, 



remaining are merely water. Ether, then, is represented by the 

 elements of 100 parts in weight of olefiant gas and 25 parts of 

 ivater. 



By the analysis which I have made we perceive the justice of 

 Count Rumford's observations in his Inquiry into the Heat evolved 

 during Combustion. This philosopher, on comparing the heat 

 produced by the combustion of ether with the heat that would have 

 been produced by the elements of that liquid, such as I announced 

 them in my first experiments, (Journal de Physique, 1807) found, 

 by means of his calorimeter, that I must have assigned an excess of 

 hydrogen. He confirmed by this method my first analysis of 

 alcohol : but this agreement is not incompatible with an inaccurate 

 analysis when the errors compensate each other. 



9. Principal Results of the preceding Researches. 



Ether and alcohol are two combinations of water and olefiant gas 

 reduced to their elements.* 



The same holds with the gas obtained by passing ether or alcohol 

 through a red-hot porcelain tube. 



Ether of the specific gravity 0-7155, at the temperature of 68°, 

 is represented by the elements of 100 parts of olefiant gas in weight 

 and 25 parts of water. 



Alcohol is represented by olefiant gas united to a much greater 

 proportion of water, and which may be stated as an approximation 

 at half the weight of the olefiant gas. 



The alcohol of Richter, or the alcoholic liquid, having the 

 specific gravity - 792, at the temperature of 68°, is represented by 

 100 parts of olefiant gas and 62-6 parts of water. As this alcohol 

 contains an indefinite quantity of water accidentally present, that 

 quantity is confounded (in the 63*6 parts just indicated) with the 

 water essential to pure alcohol, f 



One hundred parts in weight of alcohol of Richter contain — 



* According to the preceding analysis ether should be a compound of five integrant 

 particles of olefiant gas and one of water ; or of six atoms hydrogen, five carbon, 

 and one oxygen. Hence it contains more carbon and less oxygen than alcohol, 

 and is of a much more complicated composition. — T. 



+ Among the conjectures which may be made respecting the quantity of water 

 essentij.1 to pure alcohol, the supposition which appears to me the most probable 

 is that it contains a quantity of elementary water double in weight to that which 

 exists in £ther ; that is to say, that pure alcohol is represented by 100 olefiant gat 

 and 60 water, as is nearly the case with the gas obtained by passing aqueous 

 alcohol through a red-hot porcelain tube. According to this notion, 100 parts of 

 Richier'j alcohol would contain 91 "7 pure alcohol and 8*3 water ; and 100 of pure 

 alcohol would be composed of 



Carbon 5668 



Oxygen 29-44 



Hydrogen 13-88 



10000 



Tn these products there is an excess of 9-98 hydrogen above the water reduced to 

 its elements. 





