CHEMISTRY. 



69 



Elcmcnti These numbers indicate a much greater proportion 

 c of carbon and hydrogen, and a much smaller propor- 



t ^; tion of oxygen in sulphuric ether than in alcohol. 

 ^^""" When ether is passed through a red hot porcelain 



tube, it is decomposed and converted into oil, char- 

 coal, water, and a great proportion of heavy inflam- 

 mable gas. 



Ether combines only in a small proportion with 

 water. Ten parts of that liquid dissolve about one 

 part of ether. But alcohol unites with ether in any 

 proportion. 



Ether dissolves alittle phosphorus and sulphur, but 

 does not seem to act upon the other simple combus- 

 tibles. It has no action on the metah, but revives 

 those metallic oxides which readily part with their 

 oxygen, as the oxides of gold and silver. It dis- 

 solves the muriate of gold, and the oxymuriate of mer- 

 cury. 



It does not appear to have any action on the al- 

 kalies or earths. It readily dissolves ammonia and ni- 

 trous gas. 



Sulphuric acid seems capable of converting it into 

 sweet oil of wine. Oxymuriatic acid sets it on fire 

 spontaneously. The action of the other acids has 

 not been ascertained. 



It dissolves the fixed and volatile oils, and bitu- 

 mens, but does not act upon gums. 



From its constituents, as ascertained by Saussure, 

 compared with those of alcohol, it is obvious that, 

 during the formation of sulphuric ether, the alcohol 

 is decomposed. This decomposition, according to 

 Fourcroy and Vauquelin, is owing to the high tem- 

 perature to which the alcohol is subjected, in conse- 

 qucrice of being prevented from evaporating so easily 

 by the sulphuric acid with which it is combined. 



2. Nitric Ether. 



. 



This ether is mentioned by some of the older chc- 

 min, but its properties were almost unknown till it 

 was lately examined by Thenard. 

 I'.w ob- j t ma y b,, formed by distilling a mixture of equal 



parts of alcohol and nitric acid of the specific gra- 

 vity 1.233 in a retort, from which parses a tube 

 that goes to the bottom of a tall glass jar half filled 

 with a saturated solution of common salt in water. 

 Several of these jars are connected together by tubes, 

 and from the last a tube passes to convey the gase- 

 ous products to the water trough. The ether con- 

 denses on the surface of the liquid in these jara. It 

 contains at first a little nitrous and acetic acids, 

 from which it is purified by agitation with chalk in 

 a close phial till it erases to redden vegetable blues. 

 Hi proper- Nitric ether thus prepared has a pale yellow colour, 

 * and a very strong ethereal odour. Its taste is strong 



and quite peculiar. It is rather heavier than alcohol, 

 but much more volatile than sulphuric ether. Hence 

 it only moistens bodies for a moment, and produces 

 a considerable cold by its evaporation. The heat of 

 the hand is sufficient to make it boil. 



It dissolves in 48 parts of water, and communicates 

 to that liquid an odour like that of apples. It dis- 

 solves in alcohol in any proportion. It burns with 

 a white flame, and as brilliantly as sulphuric ether. 

 When kept for some time, both nitric and acetic acids 



are evolved in it. The same acids make their ap- Elements 

 pearanco if the ether be heated, or if it be agitated 

 in water. When brought in contact with a little of 

 these acids, it instantly absorbs them, and acquires 

 the property of reddening vegetable blues. 



At the temperature of 70, it quintuples the bulk 

 of gases. At that temperature its vapour is capa- 

 ble of supporting a column of mercury 28.74- inches 

 high. Hence its boiling point is obviously only a 

 degree or two above 70. 



From the analysis of Thenard, the constituents of Composi- 

 nitric ether are as follows : l ' ou - 



Oxygen, - - 48.52 



Carbon, .... 28.45 



Azote, .... 14.49 



Hydrogen, ... 8.54 



100.00 



It is probable that it contains nitric acid ready 

 formed, as one of its constituents, and that this acid 

 is neutralized by the spirit, and thus prevented from 

 acting on vegetable blues. It is obvious from 

 the preceding account of its properties, that nitric 

 ether differs entirely from sulphuric ether in its na- 

 ture. 



3. Muriatic Elher. 



After the discovery of sulphuric and nitric ether, Muriatic 

 various attempts were made to procure muriatic ether, et ^ er - 

 and different processes were suggested. Sometimes 

 a mixture of alcohol and those metallic muriates that 

 contain an excess of acid were distilled, and some- 

 times alcohol was saturated with muriatic acid gas 

 and distilled. The nature of muriatic ether was al- 

 most unknown till a set of experiments was made on 

 it by Gchlen in 1804. Thenard made another in 

 1807. To the labours of these two chemists we are 

 indebted for all the knowledge we possess of this 

 singular fluid. 



It may be obtained by distilling in a retort equal HOW <Jb- 

 bulks of alcohol and muriatic acid, both as strong tained. 

 as possible. From the retort a tube passes into a 

 Woulfe's bottle, partly filled with water, and from 

 the bottle another tube passes into the water trough. 

 The whole of the ether formed assumes the gaseous 

 form if the temperature be as high as 70, and may 

 be collected in jars over water. A mixture of acid 

 and alcohol weighing SOounces troy, yields more than 

 1200 cubic inches of this ethereal gas. 



This gas is colourless ; it has a strong ethereal ' proper - 

 ' smell, and a sweetish taste. It produces no change tics< 

 on vegetable blues or lime water. Its specific gra- 

 vity is '2.219, that of air being 1.000. At the tem- 

 perature of 64 water absorbs its own bulk of this 

 gas. 



At the temperature of 52 it loses its gaseous form, 

 and becomes liquid ether. It may be obtained in that 

 state by passing it into a jar surrounded with ice. 

 In its liquid state it is colourless like water, and has 

 the same smell and taste as when gaseous. At the 

 temperature of 41 its specific gravity is 0.874. It 

 lias no effect on vegetable blues. It is much more 

 volatile than sulphuric or even nitric ether, assuming 

 the gaseous form when not hotter than 64. It burns 

 with a green coloured flame, and a great quantity of 



