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 aqueous 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 will not ad- 

 mit the detail. The summary of his results is as follows : — 



1. That the gas called protoxide of chlorine, is a mixture of chlo- 

 rine with the deutoxide of chlorine. 



2. That the compounds known under the name of chlorides of 

 oxides, (chlorures d'oxides,) are mixtures of a metallic chloride, 

 (chlorure metallique,) with a chlorite. 



3. That chlorous acid, (acide chloreux,) is without doubt formed 

 of 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 

 acid. 



6. That chlorine has a power of decoloration, greater than that of 

 the chlorites. 



7. 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. 



Vol. XXIIl.— No. 1. 18 



