834 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
The yields in the preparations marked with an asterisk were 
somewhat lower than the others ; this was certainly due to a less 
efficient fractionating column, — a Young’s rod and disc pattern, with 
only eleven discs and no constrictions on the outer tube, being 
used in these cases. 
If considerable quantities of ester are required, it is not 
convenient to greatly increase the quantities in any one operation, 
as the time necessary for distilling off the ternary mixture would 
be proportionately lengthened. Several lots could be esterified 
simultaneously, and the product worked up in one lot. If this 
were done the yields would be larger, for a vacuum distillation 
cannot be carried out on a small quantity of substance without 
considerable loss. 
The benzen can easily be recovered by addition of water to the 
ternary mixture, and separation from the aqueous alcohol, which 
forms a separate layer. The benzen is well washed with water, 
dried, and distilled. Several of the test preparations were made 
with benzen recovered in this way, and no difference was 
observable. 
No doubt the method could be extended to esters of other 
alcohols besides ethyl alcohol, employing either benzen or some 
other liquid which forms with water and the alcohol a ternary 
mixture of suitable boiling-point. 
I am much indebted to Mr T. F. Cowie for testing the method 
by making some of the preparations of ethyl oxalate, succinate, 
and benzoate. 
Chemistry Department, 
University of Edinburgh. 
{Issued separately August 29 , 1905 .) 
