Am.  Jotro.  Phaem.  ) 
Jan.  1,1872.  j 
Nitrite  of  Amyl. 
23 
ether  and  essential  oils.  It  is  not  easily  inflammable,  but  burns  with 
difficulty,  giving  a  bluish  flame.  Its  specific  gravity,  when  pure,  is 
•818,  and  boiling  point  132°  C.  Amyl  alcohol  is  not  acted  upon  by 
the  atmosphere,  except  it  be  in  a  very  thin  layer,  or  under  the  influ- 
ence of  spongy  platinum,  when  it  is  oxidized  into  valeric  acid,  C5H10O2, 
which  acid  bears  the  same  relation  to  amylic  alcohol  that  acetic  acid, 
C2H402,  does  to  ordinary  alcohol.  Fusel  oil,  as  met  with  in  commerce, 
is  usually  a  clear  yellowish  liquid,  with  a  peculiar  penetrating  odor, 
varying,  of  course,  with  the  substance  from  which  it  has  been  pro- 
duced. It  has  a  specific  gravity  of  from  -840  to  *850,  and  is  largely 
contaminated  with,  the  lower  alcohols  of  this  series  ;  so  far  as  my  ex- 
perience goes,  it  is  only  about  half  pure  amyl  alcohol.  As  I  have 
before  stated,  it  is  of  the  utmost  importance,  in  the  preparation  of 
nitrite  of  amyl,  that  the  amylic  alcohol  be  as  pure  as  possible,  for  it 
is  much  easier  to  purify  this  than  to  purify  the  nitrite  produced  from 
it  in  its  impure  state.  For  this  purpose,  the  best  process  is  first  to 
agitate  the  fusil  oil  with  about  an  equal  bulk  of  a  strong  solution  of 
chloride  of  sodium  ;  this  usually  reduces  its  bulk  about  16  or  20  per 
cent.,  and  also  considerably  lowers  the  specific  gravity.  This  washed 
product  is  separated  and  introduced  into  a  retort  furnished  with  a 
thermometer  ;  that  portion  of  the  distillate  which  passes  over  before 
the  temperature  reaches  125°  C.  consists  mainly  of  the  lower  alco- 
hols of  this  series,  and  whose  boilings  points  are  below  that  of  amylic 
alcohol,  for  the  boiling  point  rises  in  proportion  as  the  compound  is 
richer  in  carbon.  The  distillate  collected  between  125°  C.  and  140° 
C.  is  collected  apart,  and  redistilled  until  it  has  a  boiling  point  near 
132°  C.  ;  this  may  then  be  considered  pure  enough  for  our  purpose. 
This  is  then  introduced  into  a  glass  retort  containing  some  copper 
wire,  and  furnished  with  a  safety  tube,  and  one-tenth  its  bulk  of 
H2S  04  added.  The  same  quantity  of  H  N  03,  diluted  with  an  equal 
volume  of  water,  is  next  put  in,  and  a  very  gentle  heat  applied  until 
the  temperature  reaches  about  65°  C,  when  the  reaction  will  com- 
mence and  proceed  in  a  perfectly  manageable  manner,  until  a  bulk 
about  equal  to  double  the  quantity  of  H  N  03  added  collects  in  the 
receiver,  the  temperature  in  the  meantime  rises  to  about  98°  C.  The 
reaction  ceases  very  quickly,  as  in  the  case  of  spirit  of  nitrous  ether. 
The  temperature  having  fallen  somewhat,  another  portion  of  H  N  03, 
equal  in  bulk  to  the  first,  is  added,  and  this  process  of  successive  ad- 
ditions of  the  acid  continued  uutil  nearly  the  whole  of  the  amylic  alco- 
