308 M. Beilstcin on Hydracrylic Acid. 



was identified with that obtained from other sources. Linne- 

 mann has tried the deportment of many other kinds of sugar in 

 reference to sodium-amalgam, and in many cases observed the 

 formation of mannite. 



Beilstein, in an investigation of iodopropionic acid*, observed 

 that, when the silver-salt of this acid was boiled, iodide of silver 

 and a new acid, which at first was supposed to be lactic acid, 

 were formed. He has nowf more completely investigated this 

 acid, and. finds it to be totally different from lactic acid. It is 

 best obtained by boiling iodopropionic acid with excess of oxide 

 of silver, filtering, passing sulphuretted hydrogen through the 

 filtrate, and evaporating to dryness. A syrup is obtained con- 

 taining fine needles ; and by directly neutralizing this syrup the 

 salts may be obtained. This new acid, which Beilstein names 

 hydracrylic acid, has the composition G 12 H 22 11 , and in its salts 

 is tribasic ; its formation is explained as follows : — 



4C 3 H 5 I0 2 + 3H 2 0=C l2 H 22 11 -f-4HI. 



Iodopropionic acid. Hydracrylic acid. 



Hydracrylate of lead, C 12 H 19 Pb 3 11 , is a crystalline white 

 mass which deliquesces in the air. Hydracrylate of silver, 

 C 12 H 19 Ag 3 G 11 , is very soluble in water; it is precipitated from 

 its concentrated aqueous solution in white flocks. The charac- 

 teristic property of this acid is, that, when its lead- or silver- salt 

 is heated, it decomposes into acrylic acid and water, 



G 12 H 22 O u = 4C 3 H 4 2 + 3H 2 0. 



Hydracrylic acid. Acrylic acid. 



Beilstein subjected a quantity of the lead-salt to dry distilla- 

 tion ; an acid liquid was obtained which had all the properties of 

 acrylic acid, and the lead-salt of which was identical with the 

 lead- salt of the acrylic acid prepared from acroleine. 



According to Gal J, when dry chlorine was passed for several 

 hours into anhydrous acetic acid at a temperature of 100°, a liquid 

 distilled over which consisted of chloride of acetyle, C 4 H 3 s CI, 

 and some unchanged anhydrous acid, while monochloracetic acid 

 remained in the retort. Hence this decomposition is thus ex- 

 pressed 



C 8 H 6 O 6 + 2 CI = C 4 H 3 O 2 CI + C 4 H 3 CIO 4 . 



Friedel has discovered § that benzoic aldehyde, by the action 

 of nascent hydrogen, is converted into benzoic alcohol, and that 



* Phil. Mag. vol. xxiii. p. 475. 

 t Liebig's Annalen, July 1862. 

 I Ibid. June 1862. 

 § Comptes Rendus, July 1, 1862. 



