422 Actio?z of Nitric Acid on Sebacic Acid. 



Hence one equivalent of sebacic acid takes up five equivalents 

 of oxygen by oxydation with nitric acid, and changes itself in 

 two equivalents of the hydrate of pyrotartaric acid. 



1 equivalent of sebacic acid, =C, H 8 O 3 

 5 " " oxygen, = 5 



2 equivalents of the hydrate of ) = C , .H.O.^C.H.O^HO) 



pyrotartaric acid ■ 10 8 8 v * ■* - ^^ 



This acid thus differs from lipinic acid, which it resembles in 

 many properties, only by one equivalent less of oxygen. The 

 acid in question has the following qualities, which coincide very 

 nearly with those of pyrotartaric acid, as stated by Pelouze ; the 

 very slight deviations in regard to the crystallization of the acids, 

 it was impossible for me to reconcile, on account of the small quan- 

 tity of the new acid which I could command. The acid pre- 

 sents itself as a perfectly white, slightly crystalline mass, a little 

 sticky, and permanent in the air ; heated in a waterbath, it became 

 half fluid, but heated a few degrees above 100° Centigrade, 

 it melted into a watery clear fluid, solidifying when cooled into 

 a crystalline mass. Very cautiously heated on platinum, it vola- 

 tilizes entirely, evolving a white suffocating vapor. Heated be- 

 tween two watch crystals it sublimes, leaving a carbonaceous 

 residue, in strong shining prismatic needles, which show all the 

 reactions of the unsublimed acid. The acid is inodorous, and has 

 a very acid taste, similar to that peculiar to succinic acid. It is 

 easily soluble in water, alcohol and ether, also in concentrated 

 sulphuric acid without being decomposed. Heated with alcohol 

 and sulphuric acid the ether of this acid is readily formed, which 

 is distinguished by a peculiar aromatic odor. The watery solution 

 drives out carbonic acid with effervescence, and forms gum-like 

 salts with potash, soda and ammonia, when evaporated briskly, 

 but whose concentrated solutions allowed to evaporate above sul- 

 phuric acid, dry to crystalline masses. The ammonia salt loses 

 ammonia in evaporating and becomes acid. The alkaline salts 



are 



lime salts, with chlorid of iron a flocculent brownish red precipi- 

 tate, soluble in a pretty large quantity of boiling water ; with 



copper 



With 



lead, no precipitate results, but after two to three hours the mix- 

 tures of the solutions not too much diluted, deposit a white lead- 

 salt in granules, principally adhering to the sides of the vessels; 

 once separated they are difficultly soluble in water. If an addi- 

 tion of alcohol is made to the mixed solutions of acetate of lead 

 and the ammonia salt of the acid, a thick white precipitate is pro- 

 duced directly, melting to small drops when heated, and evidently 

 the same precipitate which deposits after a longer standing of the 

 solutions, without additions of alcohol. The ammonia salt gives 





