70 
MR. STENHOUSE ON THE EXAMINATION OF THE 
Baryta Salt. 
The baryta salt of (beta) orsellic acid is prepared in exactly the same way as the 
(alpha) orsellate of baryta, by dissolving the acid in an excess of baryta water in the 
cold, removing the excess of baryta by a stream of carbonic acid gas, collecting the 
precipitates on a filter and drying them. 
The organic salt was then separated from the carbonate of baryta by means of hot 
alcohol, out of which it crystallized in small white prismatic needles. 
Per cent. 
I. 0’237 grm. salt gave 0’067 BaOSo3=0‘0439 BaO= 18*52 BaO. 
II. 0*357 grm. salt gave 0*101 BaOSo 3 = 0*0662 BaO= 18*54 BaO. 
0*346 grm. salt gave with chromate of lead 0*6275 carbonic acid and 0*1285 HO. 
Calculated numbers. Found. 
I. II. 
34 C 
2598*7900 
50*29 
49*46 
17 H 
212*1515 
4*15 
4*12 
1 BaO 
956*8800 
18*51 
18*52 
140 
1400*0000 
27*05 
27*90 
5167*8215 
100*00 
100*00 
The rational formula of the salt is C 34 Hi 7 044 +Ba 0 . 
When (beta) orsellic acid is exactly neutralized with lime or baryta and boiled for 
a short time, it is decomposed just as (alpha) orsellic acid is when similarly treated, 
yielding a crystallizable acid, which I shall call (beta) orsellesic acid, whose pro- 
perties very closely resemble those of (alpha) orsellesic acid. (Beta) orsellesic acid 
also forms a very soluble baryta salt, which crystallizes in long four-sided prisms. 
When an aqueous solution of (beta) orsellesic acid is boiled, it gives off carbonic 
acid and is wholly resolved into colourless orcin, exactly in the same way as (alpha) 
orsellesic acid. A more precise examination of this and another corresponding acid 
derived from erythric acid will form the subject of a future communication. 
An ether compound may be readily procured by boiling pure (beta) orsellic acid 
in strong alcohol, evaporating the solution, and treating the residue with boiling 
water in the way already described for orsellesic ether. It may also be prepared by 
boiling the crude precipitate already mentioned, consisting of orsellic acid and 
roccellinin, when dried, in strong spirits. In this case the ether is apt to contain a 
little roccellinin, but from this it can be easily separated by crystallizing it out of 
boiling water, in which the roccellinin is nearly insoluble. The ether compound 
crystallizes on the cooling of the liquid in long flat prisms, which cannot be distin- 
guished in appearance from the orsellesic, decanoric or erythric ethers, with which 
bodies in its properties and reactions it very closely corresponds. 
I. 0*365 grm. ether dried at 212° Fahr., gave with chromate of lead 0*814 carbonic 
acid and 0*206 water. 
II. 0*396 grm. ether gave 0*882 carbonic acid and 0*219 water. 
III. 0*2515 grm. ether gave 0*561 carbonic acid and 0*142 water. 
