Voltaic Electricity on Alcohol, fyc. 333 



bodies, by what are called rational formulae. The principal re- 

 commendation of this method consists in the greater clearness 

 which it introduces into our ideas of the relative constitution of 

 such substances ; but undoubtedly there is the greatest possible 

 risk that, when not founded on grounds strictly experimental, 

 these rational formulas may not give an accurate representation 

 of what really exists. We have the authority of the highest 

 names for the application of such views to alcohol and ether ; but 

 it is remarkable that these views, although founded on the same 

 principle, have differed considerably in their details. Gay Lus- 

 sac appears to have adopted the above-mentioned view, that al- 

 cohol consists of water and olefiant gas, and ether of water and a 

 greater proportion of olefiant gas.* Berzelius modified this 

 opinion,-]- by assuming that a peculiar hydrocarbon C 4 H 8 , which 

 he called Etherine (Ae), having the same proportions of constitu- 

 ents as olefiant gas, but a greater total number of atoms, entered 

 into the constitution of both alcohol and ether, which were both 

 regarded as hydrates of this substance, alcohol being Ae-j-2H, 

 and ether Ae-f-H. He afterwards saw cause to alter his view, 

 and to assume alcohol and ether to be oxides of different radi- 

 cles, the former C 2 H (i + O, and the latter C 4 H 10 +O. % Liebig has 

 adopted this latter opinion in regard to ether, but has rejected 

 it with respect to alcohol. || He considers ether as the oxide of 

 a hydrocarbon (E), different from olefiant gas, and represented 

 by C 4 H 10 , and alcohol as the hydrate of that oxide ; i. e. a hy- 

 drate of ether. Ether is therefore E, and alcohol E+H ; and 

 he has given a view of the composition of all the compound 

 ethers and other relative substances, which is remarkable for con- 

 sistency, and its strong analogy with the laws of inorganic com- 



* Annales de Chim., torn. xcv. 



-f- Annales de Chim. et de Phys., torn. li. p. 313. 



+ Poggend. Annal. xxviii. 627. 



II Annales de Chim. et de Phys., torn. lv. p. 132. 



u u2 



