268 Action of Sulphuric Acid on Alcohol. 



In this state it is pure, and if kept in a closed bottle, it 

 undergoes no alteration. 



M. Seruilas concludes that the green color is owing to the 

 absence of air. It has a peculiar, penetrating, aromatic 

 odor, a fresh, sharp taste, somewhat bitter, resembling mint ; 

 its specific gravity is 1.133; it is slightly soluble in water; 

 alcohol and ether dissolve it easily, and from these solutions 

 it can again be abstracted. 



Placed under water, at the end of a certain time, it is 

 transformed into a light oil, (sweet oil) which rises to the 

 surface, and into an acid sulphate of carbonated hydrogen 

 which remains in solution. 



The light oil is opake ; left at rest it deposits crystals of 

 the same nature as itself. 



This separation of the neutral sulphate, into an acid sul- 

 phate and sweet oil, may be hastened by heating it with 

 water. In this case a few minutes are sufficient. 



The most remarkable properly of this acid sulphate of 

 carbonated hydrogen is that of being transformed by ebulli- 

 tion into sulphuric acid and alcohol, without any disengage- 

 ment of sulphurous acid or gas of any kind. 



This acid sulphate of carbonated hydrogen has been hith- 

 erto considered as a sulpho-vinic or hypo-sulphuric acid, uni- 

 ted to some vegetable matter. 



Thus, my analyses of the neutral sulphate, incline me to 

 regard it as a double sulphate of ether and carbonated hy- 

 drogen. 



When treated with bases, it abandons, as with water, the 

 sweet oil, and forms with them, salts which have been called 

 sulpho-vinates, but which must be considered, as Faraday 

 and Hennell first advanced, only as salts with a double base, 

 one of which is the carbonated hydrogen. 



This oil, observed in the decomposition of sulpho-vinates, 

 the nature of which no one has hitherto pointed out, is no 

 other than the neutral sulphate of carbonated hydrogen, ob- 

 tained in such cases in large quantity ; so that 1 may recom- 

 mend this as a method to be employed in the preparation of 

 the neutral sulphate and consequently of the sweet oil. For 

 this purpose, we may heat for a few moments, without dis- 

 tillation, equal parts of alcohol at 38° and sulphuric acid ; if 

 the mass is considerable, the elevation of ten^perature on 

 mixing will be sufficient, for even in the cold we obtain a 

 certain quantity. Saturate with clear lime water (bouillie 



