1865.] Researches on Ethws. No. I. 201 



was collected apart, came over between 80 and 250. By repeated 

 rectification, in addition to other products, which belong to another part 

 of the investigation, two liquids were obtained in considerable quantity, 

 one of which boiled at 1 18-122, and the other at about 150-157 C. On 

 treating these liquids with boiling baryta- water for' several hours, the point 

 of ebullition of the first was rendered quite constant at 119, and that of 

 the second at 151. Submitted to analysis, the first of these liquids yielded 

 results closely coinciding with those calculated from the formula of butyric 

 ether, 



The boiling-point of the new ether also coincides exactly with that of 

 butyric ether, as does also its vapour-density, which was found to be 3'96, 

 the vapour-density of butyric ether being 4'04. Its density in the liquid 

 state is -8942 at 0C., that of butyric ether being '9019 at C. The 

 synthesized butyric ether is readily decomposed by alcoholic potash, yielding 

 alcohol and a salt which, when distilled with excess of sulphuric acid, 

 gives a powerfully acid oily liquid, tolerably soluble in water, possessing in 

 a high degree the characteristic odour of butyric acid, and boiling fixedly 

 at 161C. The boiling-point of butyric acid has been variously stated by 

 different observers: Pelouze and Ge'lis give it as 164, whilst H. Kopp 

 makes it 157, at 760 millims. pressure. This acid gave numbers, on 

 analysis, exactly corresponding with the formula 



fC 3 H 7 

 C\ O 



[OH. 



Boiled with water and silver carbonate, it yields, after some hours, a crop 

 of beautiful ramiform needle-like crystals, aggregated into large globular 

 masses, which become anhydrous in vacuo ; both the mother-liquor and 

 crystals have a faint smell of rancid butter. Submitted to analysis they 

 yielded results closely corresponding with those required for butyrate of 

 silver, 



C 3 H 7 

 O 



We reserve for a future communication the decision of the question as 

 to whether the butyric acid thus obtained is identical with that produced 

 by the process of fermentation ; but we may now state that the synthesized 

 butyric ether possesses, in a very dilute form, a fruity smell, but differing 

 in this respect somewhat from that of the butyric ether ordinarily sold as 

 essence of pine-apples. We have also reproduced the ether from the baryta- 

 salt with the same result as regards odour. 



The production of butyric from acetic ether, by the consecutive action of 

 sodium and iodide of ethyl, is expressed by the following equations : 



