334 Reflections en the Difference 



lieve that the afhes of the poplar contained foda, but 'the 

 ninth experiment undeceived me. I employed platter of 

 Paris, which I had at hand, for want of fulphuric acid ; it id 

 a convenient thing, {'aid Franklin, to know how to faw with 

 a gimlet : for the fame reafon I ufed wax and tallow. 



I fhall conclude with fome ideas fuggefted hy thefc expe- 

 riments. Melted wax, tallow, and hog's lard, and heated 

 oils, affume a degree of heat fuperior to that of water, and 

 even to that of boiling ley. When an alkaline ley is poured 

 into them, the mixture fvvells up in an extraordinary manner, 

 all the water evaporates in a moment, and with equal pro- 

 portions of ingredients, the foap remains firmer than that 

 made by the ufual procefles in manufactories; befides it be- 

 comes dry as foon as made. Thefe advantages are worth the 

 trouble of making a trial, and in that cafe the following qucf- 

 tions ought to be examined: 



lit, In heating the oil before the water, may not the ex- 

 panfion which takes place at the time of mixture produce fome 

 accident ? 



In my opinion it will not, if the boiler is very deep, and 

 filled only one-fourth. 



2d, May the mixture be agitated ? Yes, when the whole 

 of the ley has been employed, the mixture -then remaining 

 in a ftate of tranquil fufion. 



3d, Do the falls foreign to foap, particularly the alkaline 

 carbonates, pais off with the exhaufted ley? I fear not; in 

 my trials on a fmall fcale no liquor remained. 



4th, Do not oily bodips too much heated become fo much 

 altered as to alter the loaps ? I apprehend they do; my foaps 



were grayihh. 



LIT. Jlefleclions on the Difference between the Acetous and 

 Acetic Acids* By C. Da bit, of Mantes *« 



JL)EFORE the memoir of Berthollet on the acetous and 

 acetic acids (yulgo radical vinegar) had appeared, chemifts 

 J pretty generally in afcnbiiig the difference which 

 between them to a greater concentration on the part of 

 the acetic acid. But fince the publication of that work, in 

 which the above celebrated chemift proves that this difler- 

 ence is owmg to fomething elfe than a greater concentration, 

 of a,e acetit .-tcid, this opinion has been alrnoit entirely 

 abandoned. The experiments on which Berthollet fupporta 



* f'rom the Annulcs dt Cbimie, No. 112. 



4 hi* 



