178 M. C. Lea:—Chemical Contributions. 
amounting to 400—500 grammes, and should not hesitate to 
employ still larger ones. tis however more convenient to use 
the above quantity, and replace the material as fast as exhausted. 
The facility with which nitrate of ethyl can be obtained by 
the above process must,.I think, give it a decided advantage 
over the iodid of ethyl for the preparation of the ethyl] bases, 
in the manner which I described in the last number of this 
Journal. The lower equivalent of nitric acid as compared with 
NITRITE OF ETHYL, 
The action of nitric acid on alcohol in the preparation of nitrite 
of ethyl may be conveniently moderated by protosulphate of 
iron, and the nitric acid reduced by that agent instead of at the 
150 cc., ferrous sulphate 45 grammes. The product is very 
large, the distillate on being shaken up with water yields more 
Reduction by protochlorid of tin.—Alcoholic solution of proto- 
chlorid of tin added to nitrite of ethyl causes violent efferves- 
cence, but no disengagement of nitrous fumes. The solution of 
