0N ACETIC ACID. 345 



I must observe, that several parcels of borage, gathered Some borage 

 on different soils, and not so fresh, did not exhibit the same^''^^ ^^^ ^' 

 phenomena in an equal degree. As to this disoxiding prin- Other distilled 

 ciple, which has a sensible effect on mercurial solutions, I t^jg ^^^^^ ^^^^^ 

 hate found it in several other distilled waters, particularly ciple. 

 in the water of silver weed, potentilla anserina^ and strong 

 scented lettuce, laciuca virosa. The water of the last- Wild lettuce 

 mentioned plant holds in solution besides a fetid volatile oil, 

 which is rendered visible by adding rectified alcohol at 37^. 

 It is no wonder therefore, that these distilled waters are ca- Hence then 

 pable of producing some Q^^ct in the art of dyeing* : they and in some 

 must be of use likewise in some sthenic diseases. diseases. 



IV. 



A Memoir on Acetic Acid; hy Mr. J. B. Trommsdorff f. 



The object of Mr. Trommsdorff was, to know whether Nitrogen said 



*' ^ to be one ot the 



azote make a part of the acetic acid, as Proust asserted, principles of 



Having considered what is at present known respecting the^^^^^^^^*^"^ ^Y 

 composition of ammonia, and of vegetable acids, he was 

 justly surprised to find in Mr. Proust's paper, that he had 

 found ammonia and prussic acid in decomposing acetates. 

 Accordingly, notwithstanding the known accuracy and sa- 

 gacity of the chemist of Madrid, he was desirous of satis- 

 fying himself of the existence of azote in concentrated ace- 

 tic acid. The importance of the fact, and a love of truth, 

 led this indefatigable chemist to make a similar research. 



Before relating the processes Mr. Trommsdorff employed, 

 i^ may be proper to give a succinct statement of the objec- 

 tions, that occurred to him. 



If, says he, in the distillation of acetates ammonia be Objections, 

 formed, it is evident that they contain azote; but whence 



* On consulting the anecdotes that Mr. Deyeux has published Distilled wtttrs 

 On distilled waters, in No. 168 of the Annales de Chimie, it ap.actonsiJk 

 . pears, that he found the distilled water of silver-weed had a decided 

 *<< ^action on the silks that he used to make gauze. 



■ t Annales de Chimie, Vol. LVllI, p. IPO, May, 180(J.— 

 Abridged from the Berlin Journnl by Mr. Bergman. 



,5 



