172    CONVERSION  OF  ACETIC  ACID  INTO  METHYLIC  ALCOHOL, 
soda  may  also  be  very  easily  detected.  A  certain  quantity  of 
this  salt  is  put  into  a  test  tube,  and  water  and  nitric  acid,  free 
from  iodine<  are  poured  over  it ;  a  rod  of  tin  and  sulphuret  of 
carbon  are  then  employed  as  above  described.  If  sulphuric  acid 
be  employed  instead  of  nitric  acid  to  set  free  the  iodine,  the  re- 
sult is  less  distinct  in  consequence  of  the  simultaneous  evolution 
of  chlorine  and  the  formation  of  chloride  of  iodine.  The  sulphu- 
ret of  carbon  is  always  colored  dark  yellow,  and  the  red  color 
does  not  make  its  appearance  until  a  portion  of  the  sulphuret  of 
carbon  is  volatilized  and  with  it  the  chlorine.  ^-Ibid,  from  Polyt, 
Oentralbl,  1858. 
THE  CONVERSION  OF  ACETIC  ACID  INTO  METHYLIC  ALCOHOL; 
By  C.  Friedel. 
The  experiments  of  Kolbe  on  the  electrolysis  of  the  salts  of 
the  fatty  acids  have  shown  that  the  radicals  of  the  acids  may  be 
decomposed,  giving  origin  to  the  radical  of  the  alcohol  which  con- 
tains 2  equivs.  of  carbon  less  than  the  acid. 
The  formation  of  the  acetones  may  be  regarded  as  an  analo- 
gous fact,  only  that,  two  molecules  of  acid  being  present,  the 
radical  of  one  is  decomposed,  and  the  radical  O  H11-1,  which  is 
thus  produced,  forms  a  double  radical  with  the  undecomposed 
group.  This  is  what  has  been  assumed  from  the  theoretical 
views  of  Gerhardt  and  Chancel,  and  the  experiments  of  William- 
son upon  the  formation  of  the  mixed  acetones.  Hitherto,  how- 
ever, the  existence  of  these  alcoholic  radicals  in  the  acetones  has 
not  been  proved. 
The  action  of  muriatic  and  hydriodic  acids  upon  acetic  ace- 
tone has  furnished  this  demonstration,  and  at  the  same  time  an 
easy  means  of  converting  acetic  acid  into  methylic  alcohol. 
At  the  ordinary  temperature  and  pressure  muriatic  acid  has 
scarcely  any  action  on  an  acetone.  Still  this  substance  dis- 
solves muriatic  acid  in  considerable  quantities  ;  and  if  the  solu- 
tion be  enclosed  in  a  thick  matrass  hermetically  sealed,  and  heat- 
ed in  the  water  bath  for  eight  or  ten  hours,  the  liquid  separates 
into  two  strata.  When  the  matrass  is  opened,  an  abundant  evo- 
lution of  gas  takes  place  with  an  ebullition  which  carries  off  a 
portion  of  the  liquid,  unless  the  vessel  be  cooled  with  ice.  The 
