47-1' M. Wurtz on Propylic Alcohol. .) 



on which bromide of cyanogen is condensed in the neck in cubical 

 and acicular crystals. 



Bunsen*, by means of the spectrum-analysis,, has established 

 the presence of lithion in two meteorites — one which fell at 

 Juvenas in France, in 1821, and the other at Parnella in South- 

 ern India, in 1857. 



Lautemann has shown that, by the reducing action of hydriodic 

 acid, lactic acid may be reduced to propionic acidf . Propylic 

 glycol stands to propylic alcohol in the same relation as lactic 

 acid to propionic acid ; and by the action of hydriodic acid on 

 propylic glycol, Wurtz % has shown that it is reduced to propylic 

 alcohol. When the former substance was heated in the water- 

 bath for some time with concentrated hydriodic acid, the mix- 

 ture became dark from the separation of iodine ; and on subse- 

 quent neutralization and distillation, a heavy liquid was obtained 

 which proved to be iodide of propyle, Q s H 7 1. This had been 

 formed in consequence of a double reaction — reduction of propylic 

 glycol to propylic alcohol, and change of the latter to iodide of 

 propyle in consequence of the further action of hydriodic acid. 



Propylic glycol. Propylic alcohol. 



^Et} + HI = ^H^ + H 20 - 



Propylic alcohol. Iodide of propyle. 



This production of propylic alcohol differs from the result ob- 

 tained by Lourenco, inasmuch as the above reaction is one of 

 reduction, while Lourenco's reaction is a case of inverse substi- 

 tution. 



Wurtz has also obtained iodide of butyle, by a precisely analo- 

 gous reaction with hydriodic acid and butylic glycol. Ethylic 

 glycol, as Simpson has shown §, is converted by hydriodic acid 

 into iodide of ethylene. 



Boutlerow|| has described the synthetic formation of a saccha- 

 rine substance. To a solution of dioxymethylene, lime-water was 

 gradually added, and this solution evaporated in the water-bath 

 and afterwards in vacuo, by which a syrupy residue was obtained 

 containing crystals of formiate of lime. By treating this residue 



* Liebig's Annalen, November 1861. 



t Phil. Mag. vol. xix. p. 384. 



J Ann. de Chim. etdePhys., vol. lxiii. p., 124. 



§ Phil. Mag. vol. xix. p. 73. 



||. Liebig's Annalen, December 1861. - 



