Action of Chloride of Lime on Alcohol. 137 
Barytes and lime decompose it with heat. At the moment of re- 
action, they become incandescent. A metallic chloride is formed, 
carbon is deposited, and an inflammable gas, with aqueoge vapor, 
is disengaged. 
A concentrated solution of caustic potash produces a slow decom- 
position of the chloric ether. Mixed with an equal volume of alco- 
hol, the addition of the caustic potash produces instantaneous decom- 
position when slightly heated. ‘The action is strong, and there is 
formed along with chloride of potassium, an oily matter, which sep- 
arates on the addition of water. It is of a yellow color, and its odor 
aromatic, and somewhat like that of cummin. _It is volatile. 
Sulphuric acid appears to exert no action on bi-chloric ether. In 
heating the latter with nitric acid, vapors of nitrous acid are very 
slightly exhaled. Hydrochloric acid does not change it even with 
heat. Nitrate of silver appears not to decompose it ; at least a mix- 
ture of alcohol and ether with nitrate of silver produced no deposit 
in the course of a month, of chloride of silver. 
The memoir of M. Soubeiran is extended. to the investigation of 
various other compounds of chlorine, of which our limits ——. 
mit the detail. The summary of his results is as follows :-— we 
1.. That the gas called protoxide of chlorine, is a mixture of chloe 
rine with the deutoxide of chlorine. ~ 
2. That the compounds known under the name of dhlarides of 
oxides, (chlorures d’oxides,) are mixtures of a metallic chloride, 
— metallique,) with a chlorite. 
- That chlorous acid, (acide chloreux,) is without doubt formed 
= two volumes of chlorine and three volumes of oxygen. 
4. That mineral or organic substances brought into contact with 
chlorites, become oxidized by the oxygen of the chlorous acid, and 
sometimes by that of its base. 
5. That the bleaching by chlorites results from an oxygenation of 
the elements of the coloring matter by the oxygen of the chlorous 
6. That chlorine has a power of decoloration, greater than that of 
the chlorites. 
%.. That chloride of lime, in decomposing alcohol, gives rise to a 
new ether, represented by two atoms of chlorine and one atom of 
per-carburetted hydrogen. 
Vou. XXI.—No. 1. 18 
