268 DR. E. FRANKLAND’S RESEARCHES ON ORGANO- METALLIC BODIES. 
tion of the gas took place rapidly, and was accompanied, as in the case of pure zinc- 
ethyl, with the formation of white fumes ; these however soon ceased, and a white 
precipitate began to be deposited ; but, by frequent agitation of the vessel, the forma- 
tion of impervious crusts was prevented, and thus the oxidation, though slow, was 
continuous, and became complete in four days. During the latter part of the oxi- 
dizing process, and after the disappearance of the white fumes, a considerable quan- 
tity of inflammable gas, having the properties of hydride of ethyl, was evolved. When 
the oxidation appeared complete, the current of dry oxygen was replaced by one of 
atmospheric air, which was continued for two days longer, until the whole of the 
ether had volatilized. The solid product left in the flask was then transferred to a 
well-stoppered bottle placed in a closed receiver over sulphuric acid. It presented 
the appearance of a white porous amorphous substance, light and friable, possessing 
a very slight, but peculiar and agreeable ethereal odour. Heated in a close vessel it 
suffered no change until the temperature reached 90° C., when a sudden and almost 
explosive generation of volatile matters occurred, leaving a dirty yellow-coloured 
solid residue, which suffered no further change up to 150° C., but which, before 
attaining a red heat, evolved a considerable quantity of gas burning with a blue flame. 
Exposed in vacuo over sulphuric acid for twelve hours and then submitted to analysis, 
the product of oxidation yielded the following results ; — 
I. '6285 grm., burnt with oxide of copper, gave *5840 grm. carbonic acid and 
"3027 grm. water. 
II. 1*1257 grm. gave 1*0534 grm. carbonic acid and *5363 grm. water. 
III. *9635 grm., treated with dilute hydrochloric acid, in which it dissolved, was 
precipitated boiling by carbonate of soda, and the precipitated basic carbonate of 
zinc washed, dried, and ignited : it yielded *5040 grm. oxide of zinc. 
IV. 1*1205 grm., cautiously ignited with access of air, gave *5849 grm. oxide of 
zinc. 
These results lead to the following per-centage numbers : — 
I. II. III. IV. Mean. 
C . . . . . . 25*34 25*52 25*43 
H 5*35 5*29 5*32 
ZnO 52*58 52*20 52*39 
O 16*86 
10000 
These figures correspond with no probable formula, and evidently denote the white 
product of the oxidation of zincethyl to be a mixture and not a pure substance. It 
is worthy of remark, however, that the relative atomic proportion of carbon and 
hydrogen is nearly the same as in ethyl ; — 
Analysis No. I. 
Atoms of Carbon : atoms of Hydrogen=4 : 5*06. 
