306 CONSIDERATION OF CARBON COMPOUNDS. 



Spiritus cetheris and Spiriius (Ether is compositus are mixtures of 

 about one part of ether and two parts of alcohol, three per cent. 

 of certain ethereal oils being added to the second preparation. 



Acetic ether, JSther aceticus, C 2 H 5 C 2 H 3 2 = 88 (Ethyl acetate). 

 Made by mixing dried sodium acetate with alcohol and sul- 

 phuric acid, distilling and purifying the crude product by 

 shaking with calcium chloride and rectifying: 



C 2 H 5 HO + NaC 2 H 3 2 + H 2 SO, = C 2 H 5 C 2 H 3 O 2 -f NaHSO 4 . 



Ethyl Sodium acetate. Acetic ether. Sodium acid 



alcohol. sulphate 



It is a colorless, neutral, and mobile liquid, of a strong ethereal 

 and somewhat acetous odor, soluble in alcohol, ether, chloroform, 

 etc., in all proportions, and in 17 parts of water. Specific 

 gravity 0.889. Boiling-point 76 C. 



Ethyl nitrite, C 2 H 5 N0 2 (Nitrous ether}. Made by distilling a 

 mixture of alcohol, sulphuric and nitric acids at a temperature 

 of 80. 



By the deoxidizing action of alcohol on nitric acid, HN0 3 , 

 the latter is converted into nitrous acid, HT0 2 , which in its 

 turn acts on alcohol, the two substances combining with elimi- 

 nation of water, which is absorbed by the sulphuric acid : 



C 2 H 5 HO + HN0 2 = C 2 H 5 .N0 2 + H 2 O. 



Spirit of nitrous ether, Spiritus cetheris nitrosi, Sweet spirit of nitre. 

 This is a mixture of 5 parts of the crude ethyl nitrite with 95 

 parts of alcohol. It is a clear, mobile, volatile, and inflammable 

 liquid, of a pale straw color, inclining slightly to green, a 

 fragrant, ethereal odor, and a sharp, burning taste. It slightly 

 reddens litmus paper, but evolves no carbon dioxide with car- 

 bonate. 



Amyl nitrite, Amyli nitris, C 5 H U N0 2 = 117 (Nitrite of amyl). 

 Made by distilling equal volumes of pure amyl alcohol and 

 nitric acid from a retort until an inserted thermometer shows a 

 temperature of 100. The crude distillate is purified by agitat- 

 ing it with a solution of potassium carbonate and hydrate, 

 separating the upper layer of the liquid and redistilling it ; the 

 liquid passing over between 96 and 100 is the amyl nitrite. 



