COMPOSITION OP SULPHURIC ETHER. S29 



Sect. IX. Examination of the Water produced bi) the 

 Combustion of Ether. 



Hitherto I M\q taken it for granted, that the fluid rcsi- Examination of 

 duum of the combustion of ether was water, but without 

 ^ny other proof, than a very superiicial examination of the ^ 



slight dew, Avhjch is formed in the eudiometer by the in- 

 flammation of the ethereous vapour. It remains for me to 

 examine how far this supposition was well founded. 



I burned several ounces of ether, in the apparatus in- from several 

 vented by ]\Ieusnier to obtain the water produced in the ^"'^'^^^^ ^^ ^^' 

 fombustion of" alcohol. The water thus obtained from 

 ether is without colour, smell, and taste, except som$ 

 traces of empyreuma, vvhich it loses by exposure to the air. 

 It has the same specific gravity as distilled water, with which 

 it mixes without becoming tiirbid. It is not precipitate^ 

 either by nitrate of silver, liinc water, or even acetate of 

 barytes. When I evaporated one ounce of it to one fifth 

 of its former weight, acetate of barytes produced a cloud 

 in it incapable of being weighed. 



To estimate the quantity of sulphur contained in sxilphu- Examined foi; 



ric ether hy another process, I dissolved one ounce of this ^^'^l^'^"'"' 



liquid in fourteen ounces of v/ater. A stream of oxigen- 



ized muriatic acid gas was passed through this solution for 



ten hours. The ether was in part decomposed, but the so- 



|ution containing the products of this decomposition was 



rendered but slightly turbid by acetate of barytes, till it 



was reduced by evaporation to a qiprter of an ounce. As 



the result is so trilling, it is impossible to conceive, that 



sulphuric ether can derive any of its essential properties 



from the presence of sulphur. 



The water obtained from ether by the apparatus of Mens. A little lead iti 

 ,,,,., T/. , 1, , 7 the water from 



nier was rendered turpid and of a deep brown colour by ^j^g worm. 



the hidrosulphuret of potash. This precipitate arose from 

 the lead acquired from the worm of the apparatus. 



It emitted copious ammoniacal fumes at the approach of Appearance of 

 muriatic acid, and it appeared to me, that it changed the 

 sirup of violets green in a very slight degree: but this change 

 of colour certainly did not take place with the water ob- 

 tained from the combustion of ether under the mouth of a 

 5 glass 



