56

ALCOHOL, &C.

Pure nitric acid (D. 1500) sevenfluidounces.Put fifteen fluidounces of the spirit, with alittle clean sand, into a two-pint mattrass,fitted with a cork, through whieh are passeda safety-tube terminating an inch above thespirit, and another tube leading to a refrige-ratory. The safety-tube being filled withpure nitric acid, add through it graduallythree fluidounces and a-half of the acid.When the ebullition which slowly rises isnearly over, add the rest of the acid gradu-ally, half a fluidounce at a time, waiting tilithe ebullition caused by each portion is near-ly over before adding more, and cooling therefrigeratory with a stream of water, iced insummer. The ether thus distilled over, beingreceived in a bottle, is to be agitated firstwith a little milk of lime, tili it ceases to red-den litmus-paper, and then with half its vo-lume of concentrated Solution of muriate oflime. The pure hyponitrous ether thus ob-tained, which should have a density of 899,is then to be mixed with the remainder ofthe rectified spirit, or exactly four times itsvolume.

Spirit of nitric ether ought not to be keptlong, as it always undergoes decomposition,and becomes at length strongly acid. Itsdensity by this process is 847.

Spiritus dilutior. See Spirits.