48 



MESSES. E. FEAKKLAND AND B. P. DUPPA'S 



Ethacetic ether is readily decomposed by boiling alcoholic potash, yielding alcohol 

 and a salt which, when distilled with slight excess of dilute 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 161° C, The boiling* 

 point of butyric acid has been variously stated by different observers : Pelouze and 

 Gelis state it to be 164°, whilst Kopp gives it as 157° at 760 millims. pressure. 



Submitted to analysis, "2439 grm. etiiacetic acid gave '4862 grm. carbonic acid and 

 •2030 grm. water, numbers which correspond with the formula 



a 



The following is a comparison of the analytical with the calculated numbers : 



Found. 



C4 



Ha 



54-37 

 9-25 



88 100-00 



Boiled with water and silver carbonate, ethacetic acid 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, these crystals yielded results agreeing with the 

 formula for silver ethacetate, 



a 



H, 



O 

 LOAg 



-2738 gim. gave -2463 grm. carbonic acid, -0889 grm. water, and '1518 grm. silver. 



Calculated. 

 A 



Found. 



We have been unable to detect any difference between ethacetic acid and butyric acid, 

 and we have stated below our reasons for believing them to be identical. 



