258 HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY. [LECTURE XIII. 



Kolbe tries to bring the substances prepared by Wurtz into 

 harmony with his views, contending that lactyl chloride is 

 chlorpropionyl chloride, which passes, by the action of alcohol, 

 into chlorpropionic ether ; as indeed Ulrich obtains propionic 

 ether from it by means of nascent hydrogen. Kolbe could 

 also have adduced, in favour of his ideas, the preparation of 

 glycollic acid from monochloracetic acid which Kekule had 

 succeeded in effecting, 23 whereas Kekule discovers in it the 

 conversion of a monobasic into a dibasic acid. 24 



Wurtz now brings forward new proofs in support of the 

 accuracy of his view, 25 finding these in the existence of the 

 dibasic lactates which had been described by Engelhard and 

 Madrell 26 and by Briining. 27 Further, he succeeds in preparing 

 dibasic lactic ether (by treating chlorpropionic ether with 

 sodium ethylate), and also lactamethan and butyro-lactic ether. 

 The reduction of lactic acid to propionic acid by means of 

 hydriodic acid a reaction discovered by Lautemann 28 and 

 the conversion of chlorpropionic ether into alanine 29 furnished 

 Kolbe, on the other hand, with new grounds for the assumption 

 that lactic acid is a monobasic oxy-acid. Acids of this kind 

 he defines as monobasic acids in which a hydrogen atom 

 within the radical is replaced by HO 9 , hydrogen peroxide. 30 

 The analogy between the carbonic and the sulphonic acids, 

 already alluded to several times, is employed in support of the 

 views he is now defending, lactic acid being compared with 

 isethionic acid. 



Thus : 



HO(C 4 H 5 )C 2 2 >0 HO C 4 j C A,0 



Propionic acid. Lactic acid. 



HO(C 4 H 6 )S 2 4 >0 HO(C 4 |jjg'jS 2 O 4 ,O 



Ethyl sulphonic acid. Isethionic acid. 



22 Annalen. 109, 268. M Ibid. 105, 286 ; compare also R. Hoffmann, 

 ibid. 102, i. L>4 Compare also Heidelberger Jahrbiicher 1858, 339. 

 25 Comptes Rendus. 48, 1092. 26 Annalen. 63, 93. 27 Ibid. 104, 191. 

 88 Ibid. 113, 217. Kolbe, Ibid. 113, 220. 30 Ibid. 112, 241. 



