ON THE PE CHLORATE OF THE OXIDE OF ETHULE. 35 
tures for the eyes, and perform his manipulations with the in- 
tervention of a moveable wooden screen.* 
In common with other ethers, the perchlorate of ethule is 
insoluble in water, but soluble in alcohol ; and its solution in 
the latter, when sufficiently dilute, burns entirely away with- 
out explosion. It may be kept for a length of time unchanged 
even when in contact with water ; but the addition of this fluid 
when employed to precipitate it from its alcoholic solution, 
causes it partially to be decomposed. Potassa dissolved 
in alcohol, and added to the alcoholic solution, produ- 
ces, immediately, an abundant precipitate of the perchlo- 
rate of that base, and, when added in sufficient quantity, 
decomposes the ether entirely. It would appear, therefore, 
impracticable to form either perchlorovinates or perchlorovinic 
acid. 
We have subjected the perchlorate of ethule to the heat of 
boiling water without explosion or ebullition. 
It may be observed that this is the first ether formed by the 
combination of an inorganic acid containing more than three 
atoms of oxygen with the oxide of ethule, and that the chlo- 
rine and oxygen in the whole compound are just sufficient to 
form chlorohydric acid, water and carbonic oxide with the hy- 
drogen and carbon. 
The existence of a compound of the oxide of ethule with an 
acid containing seven atoms of oxygen led us to attempt to 
combine, by the same method, this base with nitric acid. For 
this purpose we subjected a mixture of sulphovinate and nitrate 
of barytes to the same treatment as described above, but the 
reaction, even when conducted with the greatest possible care, 
is destructive, hyponitrous ether and gaseous matters being 
the principal products obtained. Nor were we more success- 
ful in our attempt to procure a sulphurous or hyposulphuric 
ether by the same process. 
Transactions of Jimer. Philosoph. Society. 
* Having sufterred severely on several occasions from the unexpected 
explosion of this substance, we would earnestly recommend the operator 
not to neglect the precautions mentioned above. 
