The Sweet Spirits of the Mineral Acids: Diethyl Ether, Ethyl Nitrite, and Chloroethane. Late Medieval-Early Modern Organic Chemistry.

Abstract

The "sweet spirits" of sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric acids, viz. diethyl ether, ethyl nitrite, and chloroethane, have a history dating back to the late Middle Ages. The compound variously known as philosophorum spiritus vini, aqua Lulliana, Paracelsus' Schwefel süss, Cordus' dulce Vitrioli oleum, and Frobenius' æther is identical with diethyl ether. The spiritus nitri dulcis was discovered by Glauber, although it was first described clearly by Kunckel. It is largely ethyl nitrite. Spiritus salis dulci was discovered by Paracelsus and is identical with chloroethane. The historical preparations of the mineral acids as well as their sweet spirits obtained by reaction with ethanol are described in detail with particular emphasis on the experimental methods and the pyrolysis/distillation apparati used. These preparations of derivatives of ethanol are among the earliest examples of organic synthesis, although the true nature of the compounds was not recognized until the 19^th century.