A history of chemical theory from the age of Lavoisier to the present time / by AD. Wurtz, translated and edited by Henry Watts.

  • Charles-Adolphe Wurtz
Date:
1869
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A history of chemical theory from the age of Lavoisier to the present time / by AD. Wurtz, translated and edited by Henry Watts. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    213/288 (page 201)
    Note 6, Page 78. We hâve observed that Berzelius regarded acetic acid and its analogues as oxides of hydrocarbon-radicals, combined with the éléments of water. Acetic acid was the hydrate ol the trioxide of acetyl. As to trichloracetic acid, he regarded it as a conjugated compound of oxalic acid and chloride of carbon, united to the éléments of water. We see then that acids, between which the substitution t.heory pointed out relations of so much simplicity, were, for Berzelius, compounds of very different orders. These divergences are exliibited by the fol- lowing formulæ : Acetic acid Trichloracetic acid Substitution formulæ C4H303.H0 C€130;,.H0 Formulæ of Berzelius CH3.03 + H0 C*0*.C«G1* + HO We will cite a few more examples to give an idea of the complexity of dualistic formulæ. Malaguti’s perchloric ether was regarded as a double compound of 1 molécule ol anhy- drous oxalic acid with 5 molécules of oxalic chloride (sesqui- chloride of carbon). Berzelius designated this compound as oxal-aci-quintichloride. Malaguti’s perchlorinated oxalic ether becomes a compound of 4 atoms of oxalic acid and 5 atoms of sesquichloride of carbon ; Berzelius calls it oxal-quadraci- quintichloride, and thinks that it may be regarded as contain- ing 3 molécules of oxal-acichloride United to 1 atom of oxal- aci-bichloride. The following formulæ express these singular conceptions : Ether . . . C4H50 Perchlorinated ether C'CPO Oxalic ether . C203.CH50 Perchlorinated oxalic ) q»q3 QirusQ ether . . J ^ C4H50 f CO3 + 5CC13 oxal-aci-quintichlo- 1 ride C203 + C‘iP.0 ( 4C203 + 5C2C13 oxal-qundraei-quin- tichloride = 3| C203 + CCI3] ( + [C203 + 2C2C13]