Ethyle (Gr. upper air, and material), the name given by Berzelius to what was then a hypothetical body, which he considered, and which has since been proved to be, the base of ether and alcohol; ether being the oxide and alcohol the hydrated oxide of ethyle. It was not isolated during his life, but in 1849

Dr. Frankland obtained it by the action of zinc upon iodide of ethyle at a high temperature. Its formula is C2H5 when in combination; but when free it is regarded as the double of this, C4H10. It is a colorless, inflammable gas, having a slight ethereal odor (of which it would probably be devoid if absolutely pure) and a specific gravity of 2.00394. At a pressure of 2.25 atmospheres, and a temperature of 37° F., it becomes a colorless, transparent, mobile liquid. It is nearly insoluble in water, but soluble in absolute alcohol. It enters into the composition of a great number of compounds, comporting itself in the manner of a monatomic basylous radical, analogous to hydrogen and potassium, the chloride, bromide, nitrate, etc, containing one atom of C2H5; the oxide, sulphide, neutral sulphate, and other neutral ethyle salts of dibasic acids containing two atoms of C2H5; and those of tribasic acids, three atoms of C2H5. It also unites with other alcohol radicals, producing compound alcohol radicals having a composition analogous to ethyle itself.