792 ACETYL. 



heating a mixture of 1 part of alcohol with 6 or 7 parts of con- 

 centrated sulphuric acid (page 426) ; and is accompanied by 

 sulphurous acid, the vapour of ether, the double sulphate of 

 oxide of ethyl and etherole (page 772), from all of which it is 

 purified by passing it first through milk of lime, and then 

 through oil of vitriol. M. Mitscherlich finds it to be formed 

 almost exclusively, when alcohol is brought into contact with 

 oil of vitriol heated to 320 (page 772). 



Pure hydruret of acetyl has a feeble ethereal odour ; it is only 

 very slightly soluble in water, oil of vitriol, alcohol and ether. 

 It forms a crystalline compound with anhydrous sulphuric acid, 

 C 4 H 4 -f 4SO 3 . It combines with chlorine gas in equal volumes, 

 and forms an oily liquid (a property from which it received the 

 name of olefiant gas), the chlorhydrate (hydrochlorate) of the 

 chloride of acetyl, known as Dutch-liquid, or the oil of olefiant 

 gas. 



Chlorhydrate of chloride of acetyl, C 4 H 3 Cl, H Cl, or Ac Cl, 

 H Cl. Is purified by mixing with water and distilling the pro- 

 duct last mentioned, by a water bath ; depriving it afterwards 

 of the water which it takes up by shaking it in a bottle with 

 sulphuric acid, and distilling again by a water bath. It is a 

 very fluid colourless liquid, of an agreeable ethereal odour and 

 sweetish taste ; boils at 82.4 cent.; density of its vapour 3448.4. 

 It communicates its odour to water without dissolving sensibly 

 in it, but is soluble in all proportions in alcohol and ether. 

 This compound may be distilled from hydrate of potash with- 

 out change, but is gradually decomposed by an alcoholic solu- 

 tion of potash into chloride of potassium and chloride of acetyl ; 

 when this compound is heated with potassium, hydrogen gas 

 and the chloride of acetyl are disengaged. 



Chlorhydrate of chloride of acetyl readily absorbs chlorine, 

 and by the continued action of that body a product is obtained, 

 which by distillation furnishes two new compounds, one at 

 235 (115 cent.) C 4 H 2 C1 2 , HC1; and another at 275 (135 

 cent.) C 4 H 2 C1 4 . The last compound by the continued action 

 of chlorine in diffuse day-light, or more rapidly when exposed 

 to the direct rays of the sun, is converted into the crystalline 

 prochloride of carbon, C 4 C1 6 (page 377). 



Chloride of acetyl, C 4 H 3 Cl, = Ac Cl, separates from the 

 alcoholic solution above referred to, in the form of gas, by the 



