SYNTHETICAL RESEARCHES ON ORGANIC ACIDS. 477 
be the number of cub. centims. standard oxalic acid required to neutralize the 
ethylcarbonate, w—a x°023 is the sodium converted into salts of organic 
acids. It is assumed in the above that an amalgam can be made of uniform 
composition, or nearly so, as, in fact, my experiments have shown. 
Experience shows that the operations, as above described, can be carried 
out so as to give results of great nicety. 
Oxalic acid is used in these determinations on account of the sparing 
solubility of oxalate of sodium in water and alcohol, which enables us to 
separate it at once from the sodium-salts formed synthetically. 
10. We now proceed to state the results of the examination of the con- 
tents of the several bottles. The products of the reaction in the first four 
bottles were added together, the amalgam in each bottle being rapidly 
washed with water, so that as little as possible of the sodium it contained 
might appear as caustic soda in the washings. 
430-5 cub. centims. oxalic acid were required to render the solution neu- 
tral, as determined by very delicate neutral test-paper. Therefore Na as 
ethylcarbonate= 9-90 grammes. 
740 cub. centims. standard sulphuric acid were required to neutralize 
sodium which remained in amalgam, which was therefore 17:02 grms. 
11. The amount of sodium originally contained in the amalgam was de- 
termined from the weight of mercury left after extracting the sodium from 
the amalgam. 
If (Hg+Na) denote the weight of sodium-amalgam used, and (Na) the 
sodium contained therein, we have 
(Hg+Na):(Na):: 100: 1°782; 
.*. (Hg): (Na) :: 98268 : 1°732, 
(Hg) x 1°732 
or (Na)= 98-268 
(Hg), the weight of mercury, was found to be 1954-84 grms. ; 
195484 x 1°732 
98-268 
Hence 34:45 germs. sodium were contained in amalgam used. From this, 
subtracting 17-02, the sodium left in amalgam, we get 17-43 grms. as the 
amount of sodium used in the reaction. 
Of these 17-48 grms. sodium 9-90 were converted into ethylcarbonate. 
Therefore the remaining 7:53 grms. existed as sodium in salts of acids 
.*. (Na) = =34-45 grms. 
formed synthetically. 
Hence 56-22=percentage of sodium converted into ethylcarbonate, and 
43°78 = a3 s3 3 salts of organic acids. 
12. We now proceed to find the total weight of salts formed synthetically. 
For this purpose advantage is taken of the sparing solubility of oxalate 
of sodium in alcohol. 
Three solubility determinations at the ordinary temperature gave the 
following results :— 
1 part oxal. of Na dissolves in 143 pts. by weight of alcohol of 20 per cent. 
1077 ” ” 40 »” 
” 99 6250 39 9 60 39 
The solution containing the products of the reaction, after neutralization 
39 99 
