ALCOHOL  FROM  BICARBURETTED  HYDROGEN  GAS.  259 
weight  represents  three- fourths  of  the  absorbed  gas.  The  re- 
mainder was  lost  in  the  manipulations. 
2.  This  alcohol  presents  a  somewhat  pungent  and  aromatic 
spirituous  taste  and  odor,  similar  to  that  which  is  met  with  in 
the  distillation  of  the  sulphovinates.  It  distils  almost  entirely 
between  174°  and  178°  F.  It  burns  without  residue,  with  the 
usual  flame  of  alcohol.  It  dissolves  chloride  of  calcium  in 
abundance,  and  mixes  with  water  in  all  proportions. 
3.  A  quantity  of  this  alcohol  corresponding  to  3-1  grs.  of  ab- 
solute alcohol,  distilled  with  sulphuric  acid  and  sand,  furnished 
1-5  litre  of  gas  containing  1-25  litre  of  pure  defiant  gas,  that 
is  to  say  five-sixths  of  the  quantity  of  defiant  gas  represented 
by  this  weight  of  alcohol.  These  results  agree  with  those  fur- 
nished by  ordinary  alcohol. 
The  olefiant  gas  thus  prepared  possesses  the  normal  properties  ; 
it  is  absorbed  by  ordinary  sulphuric  acid  (3000  shocks),  by  bro- 
mine, and  by  iodine,  forming  the  characteristic  solid  iodide. 
When  collected  at  the  proper  moment,  it  furnished  by  detonation 
2  vols.  CO2,  absorbing  3  vols,  of  oxygen. 
4.  10  parts  by  weight  of  my  alcohol  (regarded  as  absolute  al- 
cohol) distilled  with  a  mixture  of  sulphuric  and  acetic  acids, 
furnished  20  parts  of  crude  acetic  ether.  Calculation  gives  for 
10  parts  of  alcohol,  19  parts  of  anhydrous  acetic  ether.  This 
ether,  treated  with  potash  at  212°  F.,  was  rapidly  decomposed, 
reproducing  acetic  acid  and  alcohol,  with  a  perfectly  normal 
odor.  The  alcohol  was  reconstituted  in  this  manner  for  the  third 
time. 
5.  These  characters  appear  to  leave  no  doubt  as  to  the  nature 
of  the  liquid  prepared  with  olefiant  gas.  To  arrive  at  greater 
certainty,  the  experiments  were  varied  as  follows : — 
1.  The  olefiant  gas  was  collected  in  a  gasometer  filled  with 
concentrated  sulphuric  acid.  The  gasometer,  still  containing  a 
fourth  of  the  sulphuric  acid,  was  quickly  shaken  for  several 
minutes;  the  gas  was  then  passed  through  mercury  into  bottles 
of  a  litre  capacity,  and  absorbed  by  boiled  sulphuric  acid.  The 
complete  absorption  of  the  gas  required  3000  shocks  to  each 
bottle. 
2.  Olefiant  gas,  collected  and  purified  in  a  gasometer  filled 
with  sulphuric  acid,  was  passed  slowly  through  fuming  sulphuric 
