A L C
ALC
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the nitrous and acetous acid gasses, producinga most intimate combination which can withdifficulty be separated by alkalies. Nitric etherreduced to its ultimate elements is thus com-posed :
Carbon .... 28.6.5Oxygen.... 48.52Hydrogen . . . 8.54
100.00
Nitric ether is obtained by distilling equalparts of highly rectified alcohol and nitric acid.WOO. parts of the mixture give about 160 ofpure ether, but for this purpose the gasseousproduct, which is very abundant, must bepassed through five or six bottles half full ofsaturated brine, and cooled by ice or snow andsalt, or some similar freezing mixture; and theretort itself must be frequently cooled withtold water to moderate the action of its con-tents. All the etherial liquors contained inthe bottles must be then collected and freedfrom their acid, by being shaken in a bottlein contact with lime.
The gas disengaged by the first distillation isvery abundant, and consists of much nitrousoxyd, a little nitrous gas, azote, nitric, acetic,and carbonic acids, together with a good deal ofether, most of which however is separated bythe intense cold of the apparatus.
If the distillation is stopped when no moreether is given over, the residue contains nearlythree fifths of the whole mixture, and is yel-lowish, acid, alcoholic, and contains nitric andacetic acids.
Nitric ether, or etherized nitrous gas, may bedecomposed by potash, in the latter case byfrequent agitation with a solution of the alkali,in the former by being added to an alcoholicsolution of potash. After a day or two thedecomposition is compleat, and the residuecontains alcohol, nitrite and acetite of potash.
Muriatic Ether. The properties of thisether have also been examined by M. Thenard.Muriatic ether may be made in various ways,with more or less ease, both by distillingalcohol and the metallic muriats, and also bythe direct union of muriatic acid and alcohol,as we have mentioned in the Chem. Dictionary.M. Thenard prepared it in the following way:equal volumes of alcohol and muriatic acidboth highly concentrated, were put into aretort (with a few grains of sand at the bottomto avoid the spirting up of the contents when
boiling) and well shaken, and then set over afurnace. A tube of safety connected the retortwith a tubulated receiver, double the size ofthe retort, and partly filled with water so as toimmerse the end of the tube. Another tubeproceeded from the receiver to the first of aseries of bottles also filled with water. Theretort was gently heated, and bubbles of ethe-rized gas socn appeared, mixed with somealcohol, acid, and water, all of which last weredetained in the receiver, whilst the pure gas-seous ether passed on in great abundance inproportion as the water became saturated withit. This gas is colourless, strongly etherial tothe smell, and tastes saccharine, particularlywhen dissolved in water. It has no action onlitmus, violets, nor lime-water. Its sp. gr.is 2.219 at 64° Fahr. (common air being 1.00}and at a medium pressure and the above tem-perature is soluble in its own bulk of water.It becomes liquid at 52°. Fahr. and hence theliquid ether may easily be obtained separate,by conducting the gas into an empty vesselsurrounded with ice. The liquid ether alsohas no effect on litmus. Its specific gravity at41°. F. is .874. When poured on the hand itimmediately boils and evaporates, producingmuch cold. It does not congeal at — 20°. F.At a medium temperature and in a short timethis ether, whether gasseous or liquid, shewsno trace of muriatic acid either by the action ofalkalies or by nitrat of silver; but the momentthat this ether is burned, so large a quantity ofmuriatic acid is set at liberty as to diffuse itssuffocating vapour all around and to be mani-fested by all the proper chemical tests. It istherefore a peculiar property of this ether tocontain a large quantity of muriatic acid in astate which is not readily detected except bycombustion.
Muriatic ether, both liquid and gasseous,is slowly absorbed by a solution of potash inwater or in alcohol, at a low temperature. Atfirst no muriatic acid appears to combine withthe alkali, but after a considerable time a littleof the acid separates, though partially, andbecomes sensible by the test of nitrated silver..But by raising the temperature this separationof the acid becomes much more rapid.
The sulphuric and nitric acids in like mannerhave but little action on the ether when cold,but decompose it rapidly when heated. Onthe other hand oxymuriatic gas and muriaticether, act upon each other immediately at acommon temperature, and a large quantity ofmuriatic acid appears.