SULPHATE OF OXIDE OF ETHYL AND POTASH. 773 



evaporation at any temperature without decomposition. It is 

 obtained in a state of perfect purity by heating slightly the sul- 

 phate of ethyl and etherole in contact with 4 parts of water ; 

 the etherole (light oil of wine) separates and comes to the sur- 

 face, while the acid sulphate of ethyl dissolves in the water. It 

 forms a great number of double salts with bases, which to 2 

 atoms of sulphuric acid contain 1 atom of oxide of ethyl, and 

 1 atom of the base added. They are soluble in water, and in 

 alcohol which is not anhydrous ; their sulphuric acid cannot be 

 detected by the usual re-agents, but on boiling their solution 

 with a few drops of hydrochloric acid, alcohol is disengaged, and 

 thereafter the presence of sulphuric acid can easily be detected 

 in the residue. They are not decomposed by a current of 

 gaseous chlorine ; the potash and soda salts are not decom- 

 posed when boiled with an excess of these alkalies ; the 

 barytic salt distilled with sulphuric acid containing 4 atoms of 

 water gives a mixture of ether and alcohol ; concentrated solu- 

 tions of all of them are gradually decomposed by ebullition. 

 When a sulphovinate is submitted to dry distillation with hy- 

 drate of lime or barytes, it is converted into a neutral sulphate 

 and alcohol. 



The sulphovinate of potash is the only anhydrous salt, all the 

 others contain water of crystallization, which they generally lose 

 when dried in vacuo at the ordinary temperature. The salts of 

 potash, soda, and ammonia are prepared by precipitating the 

 double sulphate of ethyl and lime or the salt of barytes, 

 by the * alkaline carbonates ; the double sulphate of ethyl 

 and magnesia or manganese, by decomposing the double 

 sulphate of ethyl and barytes, by means of soluble sul- 

 phates. 



These salts have all more the character of a bibasic salt, than 

 of a double sulphate or compound of two monobasic sulphates, 

 and may therefore be represented as containing a sulphuric acid 

 of double atom S 2 O 6 , which is bibasic, and is united at 

 once with oxide of ethyl and another base, of which the last 

 only can be displaced by other bases. They resemble the bibasic 

 fulminate of silver, in which one atom only of base can be dis- 

 placed by another base. 



Sulphate of oxide of ethyl and potash, KO,EO + S 2 O 6 , crys- 

 tallizes in colourless plates like chlorate of potash, which have a 

 saline and sweetish taste ; is persistent in air, soluble in an equal 



