TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 43 



It had, tliei], the composition of succinic acid. That it wa3 the ordinary acid 

 was sufficiently proved bj' the following- properties and reactions : — It melted at 

 179° Cent., and sublimed in the form of needles on the application of a higlier 

 temperature. The Aapour produced, on being inhaled, instant coughing and a 

 painful sensation in the nostrils. The neutralized acid gave an abundant brown 

 precipitate on the addition of perchlorido of iron. This test was tried both before 

 and after the body in question had been treated with nitric acid, and with the 

 same result. 



The only explanation I can give of the formation of ordinary succinic acid in 

 this case is, that the chloride of ethyle chlore was, in presence of the cyanide of 

 potassium, partially converted, by the high temperatm'e to which it had been sub- 

 jected, into chloride of ethylene, one ecLuiyalent of hydrogen changing its place 

 with one equivalent of chlorine : — 



CH, CH,C1 



I = I " 



CHCl, CH,C1. 



Since the above was written I perceive that M. Wichelhaus * has formed the 

 isomeric acid from cyaupropiouic acid. The difference between it and the ordinary- 

 acid is well marked. Its melting-point is 40° lower, and it does not, when neutra- 

 lized, give a precipitate "«-ith perchloride of iron. 



These results correspond, to a certain extent, with the researches of M. Caventou, 

 who has shoviTi that ordinaiy glycol can be obtained from the bromide of ethyle 

 brome. 



On the Gaseous Products of the destructive distillation of H>jdrocavhons, 

 obtained from iShalcs and Coals at Low and Hiijh Temperatures. Bj It. 

 F. Smith. 



On the Economization of Sidphurous Acid in Copper Smelting. 

 By Peter Spexce, F.C.S. 



Lord Derby (in 1861) obtained the appointment of a committee of the House of 

 Lords for obtaining evidence as to the noxious vapom's from chemical and other 

 v,-orks. That investigation, carried over many mouths, resulted in the passing of 

 the .\lkali Works Act, so ably and successfully carried out by Dr. Angus Suiith 

 as inspector. 



A large amount of evidence was elicited by the committee as to the emission of 

 sulphurous acid and arsenious acid from the copper smelting v.-orks of Swansea 

 and other parts of the Iringdom, but no legislation was adopted as to these works, 

 because, with the exception of the writer of this paper, all the witnesses testified 

 to there being no practicable means of suppressing the acknowledged nuisance 

 without destroj'ing the trade. 



The object of this paper is to show that the means then proposed to the Lords' 

 Committee by the writer for, to a large extent, suppressing this nuisance, by the 

 conversion of the sulphurous acid into sulphuric acid by the aid of furnaces of the 

 writers invention, have_ since then been in large and 'successful operation at the 

 Goole Alum and Smelting Company's works at Goole in Yorkshire, who are at 

 this present time smelting 200 tons per week of copper ores, four-fifths of the 

 sulphur which these ores contain being converted into sidphuric acid. 



About two months previous to the reading of this paper the wi-iter sent one of 

 his chemical assistants to Goole to superintend, during a month, some large expe- 

 riments in the ordinary course of work, analyzing the results at every stage, so that 

 reliable data might be obtained. 



One of these experiments is given, and as it is ty]ncal of the general operations, 

 it may be taken as indicating what is being done. 



10^ tons Cornish ores, containing 19 per cent, sulphur. 

 13} tons Spanish smalls, containing 47 per cent, sulphur. 



2rtoas. 



* Zeitschrift fiir Chemie, Neue Folge iii. Band, S. 217. 



