ACTION OF NITRIC ACID ON ALCOHOL, ETC. 
281 
multuous reactions of the alcohol take place towards the end 
of the operation. But by arresting the process, when about 
the eighth part of the mixture remains, the nitrate of urea 
remains undecomposed, and is soon deposited by the acid 
liquor ; the residue may serve for a second, third, or even a 
fourth operation. 
If the nitrate of urea which is employed be colored, it is 
recovered of a perfect whiteness. We may thus combine 
the purification of the nitrate of urea, with the preparation 
of nitric ether ; for this purpose, crude nitrate of urea, such 
as is obtained by precipitation from very concentrated urine 
by nitric acid may be used ; the precipitate is expressed, 
and introduced into a mixture of nitric acid and alcohol. 
Distillation is to be carried on until the nitrate begins to 
form crystalline plates, on the surface of the liquid. Never- 
theless, the decoloration is not satisfactory, if the weight of 
the nitrate of urea exceeds 50 or 60 grammes. 
As to the purification of the ether, it is analagous to that 
of formic, and a number of compound ethers. The ether is 
washed with an alkaline solution, then with distilled water, 
after which it is left in contact with fragments of chloride 
of calcium for a day, and distilled. 
This ether has been analysed, having been previously'dis- 
solved in alcohol, and precipitated by water. 
The analysis gave the following numbers : 
ii. 
III. 
Calculated, 
Carbon 
26.59 
26.50 
ii 
26.32 
Hydrogen 
5.89 
5.72 
5.83 
5.48 
Nitrogen 
15.07 
15.26 
a 
15.54 
Oxygen 
a 
ii 
a 
52.65 
Combustion with oxide of copper is readily effected. The 
determination of nitrogen requires several precautions, in 
which the paper of MM. Dumas and Peligot on wood 
spirits is an excellent guide. 
The formula of nitric ether may be expressed thus : 
N0 5 ,C 4 H 5 O 
