Patten—Solutions of Hydrochloric Acid in Solvents. 321 
more readily than the benzene solution. Dry hydrogen chlor¬ 
ide does not unite with dry ammonia, but in the presence of dry 
benzene) vapor ammonium chloride is instantly formed. Simi¬ 
larly dry pyridine unites with dry hydrogen chloride in ben¬ 
zene solution. He does not state whether dry hydrogen chlor¬ 
ide will not unite with dry pyridine; in absence of a third sub¬ 
stance. 
In 1902 W. D. Patton 1 showed that dry hydrogen chloride 
dissolved in dry benzene will not react with dry soda lime; and 
that an infinitesimal amount of water is not sufficient to cause 
the reaction to go. J. W. Mellor and E. J. Russel 2 find that 
an electric spark causes combination of dry hydrogen with dry 
chlorine instantaneously and completely. While neither heat 
nor sunshine cause this action, action between the two dried 
gases does go on, though slowly. Clearly moisture is not needed. 
Jatindrath Sen 3 has shown that dry ammonia gas acts upon dry 
mercurous chloride. 
To study further the question as to the action of chemicals 
upon each other in solutions where the conduction of electricity 
is extremely slight I have dissolved, gaseous hydrochloric acid 
in various solvents and brought the resulting solutions into con- 
1 Mr. W. D. Patton describes his experiments as follows: While prepar¬ 
ing anhydrous solutions of HC1 gas in benzene, various dehydrating agents 
were used. Soda lime was placed in one bottle containing benzene, HC1 
gas run in and the action noted. The benzene used was Schuchard’s thio¬ 
phene free preparation which had stood over P 2 0 5 for six months. It 
was then transferred to a dry bottle and well shaken with P a 0 5 , after 
which it was treated a second time in the same manner. The dry benzene 
was then forced into a bottle containing soda lime, made by Merck, pre¬ 
viously heated, and allowed to stand for a day. The HC1 gas was prepared 
in a flask from NaCl, C. P. and H 2 S0 4 , C. P. concentrated. The gas, as 
soon as evolved, was passed through two drying bottles containing H 2 S0 4 , 
concentrated,gand then through two U tubes, containing anhydrous Ca Cl 2 . 
The U tubes were from entrance to exit, 50 cm. long, with an internal dia¬ 
meter of 2 cm. From these the gas was passed directly into the prepared 
benzene. The HC1 gas was evolved continuously, until the benzene was 
saturated, the tube conducting the gas reaching to within 2 cm. of the 
soda lime. During the introduction of the HOI gas, from the beginning 
to the close of the experiment no action was observed on the soda lime. 
The rough corners of the lumps were as sharp and well defined as when 
introduced, and after standing for two days with a layer of air above the 
benzene, no change was perceptible. But when some of the soda lime 
and benzene were poured together into a vessel containing water, the reac¬ 
tion began with great energy. 
2 Trans. Chem. Soc. 1902, 1273. 
3 Zeit. Anorg Chem. 33, 201, 1902. 
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