715 



But with this view the capacity of saturation of gly colic acid does 

 not agree. For according to our present experience, if we adopt the 

 formula C 2 H 4 O 3 , it evidently combines only with one atom of base. 

 Before we have discovered compounds represented by the general 

 expression C 2 H 2 M 2 O 3 , I think we are not justified to place gly colic 

 acid in the same relation to glycol as we do acetic acid to common 

 alcohol. According to our present knowledge, this position must be 

 assigned to oxalic acid. 



We can represent to our minds the derivation of gly colic acid 

 from acetic acid in the following manner. If in acetic acid one atom 

 of hydrogen be replaced by peroxide of hydrogen, we obtain a body 

 which has the composition of glycolic acid. 



C 2 H 4 O 2 = acetic acid. 



C 2 H 3 (HO) O 2 =glycolic acid. 



But, according to the following observations, this view appears not 

 to be correct ; for glycolic acid can be formed from glycolide and 

 water, and probably also again can be resolved into these two sub- 

 stances in the same way as lactid and water by their union produce 

 lactic acid, and the decomposition of the latter by heat yields lactid 

 again. If, therefore, peroxide of hydrogen be contained in glycolic 

 acid, it must be present in glycolide. 



If monochlorinated acetate of potash be decomposed, according to 

 Kekule, glycolic acid and glycolide are formed. The formation of the 

 latter precedes that of the glycolic acid ; but if the monochlorinated 

 acetate of potash could be obtained anhydrous, no doubt only glyco- 

 lide would result from its decomposition. The monochlorinated 

 acetate of potash can be represented as consisting of three parts, of 

 potassium, of oxygen, and of chlorinated acetyle. 



C 2 H 2 C10J 



At a higher temperature chlorine and potassium form chloride of 

 potassium. After the removal of the chlorine, the chlorinated ace- 

 tyle is converted into the biatomic radical C 2 H 2 O, which unites 

 with one atom of oxygen, and forms glycolide. 



K J 



