ETHER. 
trie acid, surcharged perhaps with nitric 
oxide. 
Muriatic ether. Pelletier proposes the 
following process to form muriatic ether : 
place a retort in a sand-bath, and connect 
it with a glass balloon, and two of Woulfe’s 
bottles: pnt into the bottle 100 parts of 
muriate of soda, perfectly dry, and into the 
balloon and bottles the same quantity of 
alcohol. The joinings being luted, 50 parts 
of sulphuric acid are to be poured on the 
salt, and the operation is left to proceed in 
the cold for five or six hours. A moderate 
heat is then to be gradually applied. The 
muriatic acid gas passes over, and is con- 
densed by the alcohol. The whole of this 
liquor is then put into a retort, with twenty 
parts of oxide of manganese in fine powder ; 
and there is put into the receiver and bottles 
a solution of pure potash. It is distilled 
by a gentle heat; the muriatic ether passes 
over, and the re-action of any excess of 
pxymuriatic acid gas upon it, which would 
change it to oil, is prevented by the alkali. 
The ether is then to be rectified, by mixing 
it with twice its bulk of water, and distilling 
it by a very gentle heat. 
The properties of muriatic ether have 
not been properly described, from the dif- 
ficulty of obtaining it pure. It is said to 
be light, transparent, volatile, and inflam- 
mable, emitting while burning a pungent 
odour, and to have a styptic taste. 
A process has been given by Boudet for 
the preparation of phosphoric ether. He 
mixed liquid phosphoric acid of a thick con- 
sistence and alcohol in equal proportions, 
introduced the mixture into a tubulated re- 
tort connected with a receiver, and with an 
Woulfe’s bottle, which was filled two-thirds 
with lime-water: heat was applied, so as to 
cause the mixture to boil ; a portion of un- 
changed alcohol first distilled over; this 
was succeeded by a liquor having an ethe- 
real odour, mixed a little with that of garlic : 
it reddened slightly the syrup of violets : 
when rectified by distillation, with the ad- 
dition of carbonate of magnesia, the product 
was colourless, and had an odour somewhat 
similar to that pf sulphuric ether : it was 
volatile, and highly inflammable, its com- 
bustion not being accompanied with any 
smoke. It floated on the surface of water, 
but by agitation with it was dissolved. It 
dissolved the volatile oils, and also phos- 
phorus. Its specific gravity was inferior to 
that of alcohol, being as 91 to 100. After 
jts production, when the heat was much 
jaispd, a quantity of oily matter was distill- 
ed over, and carburetted hydrogen was dis- 
engaged. The residual liquor was of a dark 
brown colour, and contained a large quan- 
tity of phosphoric acid. (Aunales de 
Chimie, tom. xi. p. 123.*) 
Fluoric ether has been said to be formed 
by putting fluate of lime, previously ignited 
and in powder, into a retort,, with equal 
weights of alcohol and sulphuric acid, and 
distilling to dryness. The product of this 
distillation was again distilled to one half, 
and a portion of fluoric acid abstracted from 
it by a solution of potash, which at the 
same time precipitated a portion of silex, so 
as to render the whole gelatinous. This, on 
being again distilled, afforded an ether of 
the specific gravity of 0.720, which burnt 
with a blue flame; and had a bitter taste. 
It is added, that it greatly resembled sul- 
phuric ether; and it is not improbable 
that it may have been merely this ether 
disguised. (Nicholson’s Journal, vol. viii. 
p v l43.) 
Acetic ether has been known for a consi- 
derable time to chemists, Lauragais having 
given, in 1759, the process for preparing it, 
by distilling alcohol, with the concentrated 
acetic acid that is procured by the decom- 
position of acetate of copper by heat. 
Scheele, as well as other chemists, have 
been unable to form it ; but Pelletier has 
observed, that it is procured with certainty 
by distilling alcohol repeatedly from the 
acetic acid. The alcohol at first acquires 
an ethereal odour, but is miscible with wa- 
ter; by returning it on the residual liquor, 
distilling it, and repeating this for a third 
time, this becomes stronger : the acid con- 
tained in the liquor thus procured was satu- 
rated by the addition of carbonate of pot- 
ash ; and by distillation there was procured 
from it a pure acetic ether, in quantity 
about half of the alcohol employed. (“ Me- 
moires de tihimie,” tom. i. p. 237.) It was 
soluble in water in a limited quantity, seven 
measures dissolving three.. It has an agree- 
able odour, ethereal, but in which the smell 
of acetic acid is also perceptible. It is very 
volatile and inflammable : it burns with a 
clear light, and leaves a little charcoal. 
According to Pelletier, acetic ether may 
likewise be formed by distillation, from a 
mixture of sulphuric acid, acetate of cop- 
per, and alcohol ; and, according to Lap- 
lanche, it may be obtained from a mixture 
of sulphuric acid, alcohol, and acetate of 
lead. 
Ether of Sir Isaac Newton. When we 
have separated the actions of bodies upon 
