154 
MR. BRODIE ON CEROTIC ACID. 
Chlor-Cerotic Ether. 
This last substance has the properties of an acid, and gives with soda a salt almost 
insoluble in water. I prepared this salt but did not analyse it, as the substance was 
lost in attempting to dry it on a water-bath, in which case it is decomposed. The 
compound ether, however, of the acid may be obtained in a similar way to that in 
which is obtained the compound ether of the cerotic acid itself. The numbers which 
this ether gave to analysis, taken with those of the chlor-cerotic acid, and of the 
cerotic acid, are conclusive as to the formulae of these bodies. The appearance of 
this ether is similar to that of the acid from which it is derived. 
0'454 grm. gave 0’6815 carbonic acid and 0‘214 water, 
which analysis gives in 100 parts — 
Carbon 40’94 
Hydrogen 5 ’24 
Oxygen and chlorine . . . 53'82 
100-00 
0-650 grm. of the substance gave T332 grm. of chloride of silver, which contains 
0-3294 grm. of chlorine, and corresponds to chlorine 50-68 parts per cent. 
rH« 
’lCl.2 
The formula of the ether Cgg^ O 4 requires in 100 parts — 
•^•^46 
CI12 
O 4 . 
Calculated. 
41-11 
5-40 
49-99 
3-50 
100-00 
which agree remarkably with the numbers found ; it being remembered that the body 
cannot be crystallized or indeed in any way purified. 
Distillation of Cerotic Acid. 
Cerotic acid is volatile. If the acid as separated from the lead salt by acetic acid 
be distilled, the acid separated from the distillate and purified by boiling with potash 
and washing the baryta salt with ether, it will again be procured with a melting- 
point nearly corresponding to that of the original acid. 
0-251 grm. of this substance gave 0-7254 carbonic acid and 0-2977 water. 
giving in 100 parts — 
Carbon 78*80 
Hydrogen 13*19 
Oxygen 801 
100-00 
being precisely the same numbers as the substance gave before distillation. 
