Destructive Distillation of the Sulphate of Etherine. 77 



the European chemists, except so far as they are based on the 

 partial conversion of the sulphate of etherine, into sulphurous 

 ether by distillation, which I believe to be new, I shall assume as 

 true, that one of the formulas given above, which supposes pre- 

 sent in each compound an atom of water for each atom of sul- 

 phuric acid. The explanation which I shall offer, will however 

 be still more applicable on the other view of the composition of 

 these substances. 



It may easily be understood, that at the commencement of the 

 operation, while pure ether is alone given off, the sulphovinic acid 

 separates into one compound atom of etherine and water, one 

 atom of hydrous sulphuric acid, and one atom of the same acid, 

 which would be in the anhydrous state, did it not immediately 

 unite with an atom of alcohol or water. But it might have been 

 anticipated, that as the operation advances since the other substan- 

 ces present are continually diminishing, while the sulphuric acid 

 is increasing in quantity ; a period will finally arrive, when if 

 more than one atom of that acid were to leave the etherine, it 

 would no longer find any thing else, Avith which to combine ; 

 and that consequently, the sulphovinic acid, instead of separating 

 into two atoms of sulphuric acid, and one of ether, would at this 

 stage of the process, yield one atom of the same acid, and one of 

 sulphate of etherine. Instead however of obtaining the heavy 

 oil of wine in the receiver, in large quantities, replacing the ether, 

 which ought according to the theory thus rapidly sketched, no 

 longer to be evolved ; we find there a yellow liquid, consisting of 

 sulphurous acid and ether in a state of partial combination, hold- 

 ing in solution a small quantity of the sulphate of etherine. 



As it now, however, appears, that this same yellow liquid is 

 produced, when the sulphate is subjected to the process of distil- 

 lation, we may believe, that the result indicated by theory, really 

 takes place, the sulphovonic acid 2S"-+2H- + E actually sepa- 

 rating; with one atom of aqueous sulphuric acid S-'+H*, and 

 one of sulphate of etherine S • • • + H • + E. The latter being unsus- 

 ceptible of distillation will then as I have shown, afford by its 

 decomposition the yellow liquid which we find actually pro- 

 duced. 



This theoretical view is very much strengthened, by the fact, 

 that the sulphate of methylene which distils per se without al- 

 teration, is almost the sole product of the reaction of pyroxylic 



