CHLOROFORM A SUBSTITUTE FOR SULPHURIC ETHER. 51 
pared by Doebereiner. Chemists have now devised a 
variety of processes, by which formic acid may be obtained 
from starch, sugar, and, indeed, most other vegetable sub- 
stances. 
A series of chlorides of formyle are produced when 
chlorine and the hypochlorites are brought to act on the 
chloride, oxide, and hydrated oxide of methyle (pyroxylic or 
wood spirit.) In the same way as formic acid may be 
artificially procured from substances which do not contain 
formyle ready formed, — so also are the chlorides of this 
radical capable of being procured from substances which 
do not originally contain it. 
Chloroform, chloroformyle, or the perchloride of formyle, 
may be made and obtained artificially by various processes, 
— as by making milk of lime, or an aqueous solution of 
caustic alkali act upon chloral,— -by distilling alcohol, py- 
roxylic spirit, or acetone, with chloride of lime, — by leading 
a stream of chlorine gas into a solution of caustic potass in 
spirit of wine, &c. The preparation which I have em- 
ployeck was made according to the following formula of 
Dumas: — 
Chloride of lime in powder, - IbsAv, 
Water, lbs. xii. 
Rectified spirit, - f jxii. 
Mix iu a capacious retort or still, and distil as long as a 
dense lic[uid, which sinks in the water with which it comes 
over, is produced.' (Gray's Supplement to the Pharma- 
copceia, 1S46, p. 633.) 
The resulting perchloride of formyle consists of two 
atoms of carbon, one of hydrogen, and three of chlorine. 
Its specific gravity is much greater than that of water, 
being as high as 1.480. It boils at 141°. The density of 
its vapour is 4.2. It is not inflammable, nor changed by 
distillation with potassium, potash, sulphuric, or other 
acids. 
