ON SULPHUROUS KTHER. 155 
sulphate. A carbonaceous mass, replete with sulphuric acid, 
remained in the retort. 
Hennel states that when oil of wine was heated in a solution 
of potash, an oil was liberated which floated upon water, hav- 
ing but little fluidity when cold; and which, in some cases, 
partially crystallized. When gently heated, it became clear, 
and of an amber colour. The vapour had an agreeable, 
pungent, aromatic smell. This oil must have been pure 
etherine. 
It is not improbable that this oil, which may be considered 
as devoid of sulphuric acid, is more or less liberated in evolv- 
ing oil of wine, according to the nature of the process 
employed; and that the oil alluded to by Thenard, and those 
procured by me by simple distillation, ebullition, or distilla- 
tion with ammonia or potassium, are mixtures of the etherine 
with its sulphate in various proportions. As it is well known 
that the odour of the essential oils is rendered more active by 
dilution, the livelier smell of the solutions may be consistent 
with a diminished proportion of the odoriferous matter. 
Oil of wine cannot be distilled per se without partial de- 
composition, which does not take place below the temperature 
of 300. When subjected to the distillatory process, over po- 
tassium, at a certain temperature, a brisk reaction ensued, and 
the oil and metal agglutinated into a gelatinous mass. By 
raising the temperature the mass liquefied, and a colourless 
oil came over, which retained the odour of oil of wine. Mean- 
while some of the potassium remained unchanged, and appear- 
ed within the liquid in the form of pure metallic globules. 
On pouring into the retort a portion of nitric acid in order to 
remove the caput mortuum, ignition took place from the pre- 
sence of the potassium. 
