"""sX^ssr  }  Chemical  Notes.  467 
Organic  Chemistry  .—Process  for  the  Continuous  Preparation  of  Acetic 
Ether — J.  A.  Pabst  has  devised  a  process  in  imitation  of  that  for  the 
preparation  of  common  ether.  50  cc.  sulphuric  acid  and  the  same 
quantity  of  alcohol  are  heated  together  in  a  retort  to  I40°C.,  and  then  a 
mixture  of  i  liter  of  96  per  cent,  alcohol  and  i  liter  acetic  acid  (93  per 
cent  )  is  allowed  to  flow  in  slowly.  At  first  some  ethyl  ether  goes  over 
and  then  a  liquid  which  contains,  with  considerable  uniformity,  85  per 
cent,  acetic  ether  The  reaction  takes  place  between  130°  and  135°  ■> 
at  145°  already  some  sulphurous  acid  is  produced.  The  yield  is  about 
1350  grams  or  78  per  cent.,  which  is  90  per  cent,  of  the  theoretical 
amount.  With  reference  to  the  solubility  of  acetic  ether  in  saturated 
calcium  chloride  solution  is  to  be  remarked  that  pure  acetic  ether  is  not 
dissolved,  although  it  is  if  mixed  with  90  per  cent,  alcohol,  i  volume 
acetic  ether,  i  volume  alcohol  and  2  volumes  calcium  chloride  solution 
give  a  homogeneous  liquid. 
The  methyl  acetic  ether  can  be  prepared  exactly  as  the  ethyl  com- 
pound, but  in  the  attempt  to  prepare  the  amyl  acetic  ether  in  an 
analogous  manner  side  reactions  were  found  to  interfere.  In  order  to 
study  the  proportional  power  of  combination  possessed  by  the  two 
alcohols,  the  author  allowed  a  mixture  of  100  cc.  methyl  alcohol  and 
100  cc.  acetic  acid  to  flow  into  a  mixture  of  50  cc.  sulphuric  acid  and 
50  cc.  ethyl  alcohol.  The  first  distillates  contained  essentially  methyl 
acetate  and  the  latter  pure  ethyl  acetate.  In  the  flask  was  found 
remaining  nearly  equal  amounts  of  sulphuric  and  ethyl  sulphuric  acids, 
and  in  addition  alcohol,  acetic  acid  and  some  residual  ethyl  acetate. — 
Bull.  Soc.  Chim  ,  vol  xxxiii,  pp.  350-351. 
On  Gelose. — Morin  has  studied  the  gelose  of  Payeus,  contained  in 
the  so-called  Chinese  moss  (ager  agar).  When  its  solution  is  cooled, 
even  that  of  i  in  500  parts  of  water,  a  colorless,  transparent  and  stiff 
jelly  is  obtained,  which,  when  heated  with  moderately  strong  nitric 
acid,  yields  mucic  and  oxalic  acids.  It  dissolves  on  heating  with  acidi- 
fied water  without  yielding  a  jelly  on  cooling.  Its  solution  turns  the 
plane  of  polarization  to  the  left  (a  i  per  cent,  solution  in  slighty  acidi- 
fied water  placed  in  a  tube  0*2  m  shows  — 4°  15').  Boiling  with  weak 
sulphuric  acid  changes  the  rotation  to  the  left  into  one  of  4°  10^  to  the 
right.  The  right-rotating  substance  so  obtained  reduces,  with  the  aid 
of  heat,  alkaline  copper  solution,  corrosive  sublimate  and  gold  chloride. 
Gelose  leaves  3*88  per  cent,  of  ashes,  and  when  air-dried  contains 
22*85  P^'"  cent,  of  moisture.    When  dissolved  there  also  separates  out 
