﻿352 
  OBSERVATIONS 
  ON 
  SULPHUROUS 
  ETHER, 
  

  

  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  in 
  the 
  ammonia, 
  justifies 
  a 
  surmise, 
  that 
  the 
  etherine 
  

   distils 
  in 
  the 
  state 
  of 
  a 
  hyposulphate, 
  which 
  subsequently 
  undergoes 
  a 
  

   decomposition 
  into 
  sulphurous 
  acid 
  and 
  sulphate 
  of 
  etherine. 
  

  

  The 
  liquid 
  above 
  alluded 
  to, 
  as 
  resulting 
  from 
  the 
  saturation 
  of 
  the 
  

   ethereal 
  sulphurous 
  sulphate 
  of 
  etherine 
  by 
  ammonia, 
  and 
  distillation 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  water 
  bath 
  gradually 
  raised 
  to 
  a 
  boiling 
  heat, 
  is 
  a 
  very- 
  

   fragrant 
  variety 
  of 
  oil 
  of 
  wine. 
  It 
  differs 
  from 
  that 
  described 
  by 
  Ber- 
  

   zelius 
  as 
  the 
  heavy 
  oil 
  of 
  wine 
  of 
  Hennel 
  and 
  Serullas, 
  in 
  being 
  lighter 
  

   and 
  containing 
  less 
  sulphuric 
  acid. 
  I 
  have 
  a 
  specimen 
  exactly 
  of 
  the 
  

   specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  water, 
  and 
  have 
  had 
  one 
  so 
  light 
  as 
  to 
  float 
  on 
  that 
  

   liquid. 
  The 
  oil 
  of 
  wine 
  obtained 
  by 
  ammonia 
  approximates, 
  in 
  its 
  

   qualities, 
  to 
  the 
  variety 
  which 
  Thenard 
  describes 
  as 
  light 
  oil 
  of 
  wine. 
  

   The 
  presence 
  of 
  sulphuric 
  acid 
  in 
  a 
  definite 
  or 
  invariable 
  ratio 
  does 
  

   not 
  appear 
  requisite 
  to 
  the 
  distinctive 
  flavour 
  or 
  odour 
  of 
  oil 
  of 
  wine. 
  

  

  The 
  heavy 
  oil 
  of 
  wine 
  treated 
  by 
  Hennel 
  as 
  sulphate 
  of 
  hydro- 
  

   carbon, 
  2 
  S 
  > 
  -f- 
  4 
  C 
  H 
  ; 
  and 
  by 
  Serullas 
  as 
  a 
  hydrous 
  sulphate 
  of 
  etherine, 
  

   4 
  CH-}-2S-f-H; 
  I 
  have 
  obtained, 
  as 
  above 
  mentioned, 
  by 
  exposing 
  

   the 
  ethereal 
  sulphurous 
  sulphate 
  of 
  etherine, 
  in 
  vacuo, 
  over 
  the 
  hydrate 
  

   of 
  lime, 
  or 
  potash, 
  and 
  sulphuric 
  acid. 
  This 
  variety 
  sinks 
  in 
  water, 
  

   being 
  of 
  the 
  specific 
  gravity 
  of 
  1.09 
  nearly 
  : 
  is 
  of 
  a 
  deeper 
  hue 
  than 
  the 
  

   other, 
  and 
  of 
  a 
  smell 
  less 
  active, 
  with 
  a 
  taste 
  somewhat 
  more 
  rank. 
  A 
  

   specimen 
  of 
  oil 
  thus 
  obtained 
  being 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  distillatory 
  pro- 
  

   cess, 
  a 
  portion 
  came 
  over 
  undecomposed, 
  leaving 
  in 
  the 
  retort 
  a 
  carbo- 
  

   naceous 
  mass. 
  14 
  grains 
  of 
  the 
  oil 
  which 
  had 
  not 
  undergone 
  distilla- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  a 
  like 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  distilled 
  oil, 
  were 
  severally 
  boiled 
  in 
  

   glass 
  tubes 
  with 
  nitric 
  acid 
  until 
  red 
  fumes 
  ceased 
  to 
  appear 
  ; 
  about 
  28 
  

   grains 
  of 
  pure 
  nitre 
  were 
  added 
  to 
  each, 
  some 
  time 
  before 
  the 
  boiling 
  

   was 
  discontinued. 
  The 
  resulting 
  liquid 
  was 
  in 
  each 
  case 
  poured 
  into 
  

   a 
  platina 
  dish, 
  boiled 
  dry, 
  and 
  afterwards 
  deflagrated 
  by 
  a 
  red 
  heat. 
  

   The 
  residual 
  mass 
  being 
  subjected 
  to 
  water, 
  the 
  resulting 
  solution 
  was 
  

   filtered, 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  nitric 
  acid 
  added, 
  and 
  then 
  nitrate 
  of 
  barytes 
  in 
  

   excess. 
  

  

  The 
  precipitate 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  distilled 
  oil, 
  weighed, 
  when 
  dry, 
  only 
  

   nine 
  and 
  five-eighths 
  grains, 
  while 
  that 
  procured 
  from 
  the 
  oil 
  which 
  

   had 
  not 
  been 
  distilled, 
  amounted, 
  under 
  like 
  circumstances, 
  to 
  fourteen 
  

   and 
  one-eighth 
  grains. 
  Ten 
  grains 
  of 
  another 
  portion, 
  left 
  for 
  some 
  

  

  