256 
ON  SWEET  SPIRIT  OF  NITRE. 
spirit  of  nitre  by  the  formula  of  the  London  Pharmacopoeia.  That 
which  we  would  call  your  attention  to  in  his  results  is  the  very 
large  amount  of  hyponitrous  ether  found  by  him  in  that  residue. 
He  has  not  given  the  quantity  found,  but  we  are  much  mistaken  if 
he  does  not  give  data  for  saying  that  by  far  the  largest  portion  of 
the  ether  was  left  to  be  thrown  away.  This  we  suspect  is  the  case 
still.  In  one  experiment,  where  14  fluid  ounces  were  ordered  to 
be  drawn  over,  as  being  the  amount  of  the  product,  nearly  the 
whole  came  over  before  a  trace  of  hyponitrous  ether  made  its 
appearance. 
We  will  give  the  details  of  an  experiment  made  on  Jan.  21st, 
1856 : — 40  fluid  ounces  of  alcohol,  of  D.  838,  were  mixed  with 
Si  fluid  ounces  of  pure  N05,  of  D.  1420  or  thereby,  (it  was  found 
to  be  1415  at  71°,)  and  distilled.  The  quantity  ordered  to  be 
distilled  over  is  28  fluid  ounces.  It  boiled  at  176°— 178c,  and 
when  the  temperature  had  reached  182°,  21  fluid  ounces  had 
come  over  into  the  receiver.  The  D.  of  this  portion  was  .834, 
and  was  alcohol  without  the  very  slightest  taste  or  smell  of 
nitrous  ether.  The  next  portion  came  over  below  184° ;  it  mea- 
sured 3  fluid  ounces,  and  its  D.  was  .837,  and  in  other  respects 
altogether  like  the  first.  The  third  portion  measured  about  4  fluid 
ounces  ;  its  D.  was  «840,  and  was  not  perceptibly  different  from 
fine  spirit.  The  temperature  had  now  reached  188°.  The  fourth 
portion  measured  3  fluid  ounces ;  its  D.  «845,  and  it  was  merely 
flavored  with  Sp.  Eth.  Nit.  The  temperature  was  now  192°. 
The  fifth  portion  was  1\  fluid  ounces  of  D.  '854,  tasting  distinctly 
of  sweet  nitre.  Up  till  this  period  no  other  action  could  be  per- 
ceived than  ebullition.  There  was  no  escape  of  gas  through  the 
receiver.  When,  however,  those  32i  fluid  ounces,  or  thereabout, 
had  been  distilled  off,  action  began,  the  thermometer  falling  from 
192°  to  182U;  action  was  vigorous  to  180°,  where  it  remained 
for  a  short  time,  and  on  removing  the  gas-burner  it  fell  gradually 
to  168°,  and  all  action  was  nearly  at  an  end.  The  last  portion 
amounted  to  8  J  fluid  ounces  ;  its  D.  was  890  ;  and  when  treated 
with  half  its  bulk  of  solution  of  CaCl,  containing  40  per  cent,  of 
dry  CaCl,  it  separated  46  per  cent,  of  ether,  whether  the  AeO-f- 
N03  of  the  Edinburgh  Pharmacopoeia  was  not  examined  into. 
The  first,  second  and  third  portions  were  mixed  together,  and 
gave  faint  indications  of  aldehyde,  as  did  the  fourth.    With  the 
