CONVERSION  OF  ACETIC  ACID  INTO  METHYLIC  ALCOHOL.  173 
gas  evolved  burns  with  a  green  flame,  and  by  analysing  it  eudi- 
ometrically,  it  was  found  to  furnish  a  volume  of  carbonic  acid 
rather  larger  than  its  own.  Chloride  of  methyle  would  furnish 
exactly  its  volume  of  carbonic  acid.  The  excess  of  carbon  found 
is  due  to  a  little  acetone,  from  which  the  gas  is  freed  with  diffi- 
culty; it  may  be  removed  in  part  by  means  of  water  and  distil- 
lation. 
The  remaining  liquid  also  contains  a  little  acetone  and  an  acid 
possessing  the  odor  of  acetic  acid,  boiling  between  212p  and  248° 
F.;  with  oxide  of  silver  this  forms  a  salt  which  crystallizes  in 
white  needles  and  contains  64-31  of  silver.  The  acetate  con- 
tains 64-66.  The  acid  is  therefore  acetic  acid  regenerated  in  a 
reaction  which  may  be  expressed  by  the  following  equation  :— 
2(C2  H6  02)+HCl=C4  H4  04-f  4  (C6  H3  CI). 
To  collect  the  ether  produced  more  readily,  the  author  sub- 
stituted gaseous  hydriodic  acid  for  muriatic  acid.  Hydriodic 
acid  acts  upon  acetone  at  the  ordinary  temperature,  and  as  soon 
as  the  acetone  is  saturated  with  hydriodic  vapors,  it  may  be  dis- 
tilled, and  furnishes  much  iodide  of  methyle  and  acetic  acid. 
The  iodide  of  methyle  passes  in  distillation  almost  entirely 
between  109°  and  113°  F.,  but  nevertheless  it  still  contains 
acetone  and  cannot  easily  be  obtained  pure.  By  treating  it  with 
oxalate  of  silver  in  a  closed  matrass  heated  in  the  water-bath, 
oxalate  of  methyle  is  obtained,  boiling  between  320°  and  331° 
F.,  and  crystallizing  in  fine  laminae.    Its  analysis  gave— 
Found.  Calculated. 
C  40-72  40-67 
H       5-34  5-07 
This  oxalate,  treated  with  potash,  furnished  wood-spirit,  boil- 
ing between  149°  and  156°F.,  which,  when  rectified  first  over 
quicklime  and  then  over  fused  potash,  gave  the  following  num- 
bers : — 
Found.  Calculated. 
C      37.31  37-50 
H      12.59  12-50 
In  this  reaction^  besides  iodide  of  methyle,  only  acetic  acid  is 
produced.    The  portions  of  the  acid  boiling  at  the  highest  tem- 
peratures, furnished,  with  oxide  of  silver,  only  acetate  of  silver, 
containing  64-08  per  cent,  of  silver.    The  action  of  iodide  of 
