LIQUOHf FOR RENDERIWG STUFFS WATER-PROOF, 253 



ax water; and I afterwards examined the liquor, and the 

 matter which remained on the filter, feparately. 



Second Experiment. — If my conje6^ure was well founded, 

 I fhould only find in this liquor the bafe of a foap united to an 

 acid, of which there was a fuperabundance. My firft care Contains ful- 

 was to fatisfy myfelf of the nature of this acid, and that which P^""*^ ^'^''^^ 

 its tafte had already indicated to me, was confirmed by mu- 

 riate of barytes producing in it an abundant precipitate, in- 

 foluble in nitric acid : thus I was convinced that the liquor 

 contained fulphuric acid; but, on the other hand, ammonia Ammonia formi 

 having produced in this liquor a white, flocculent, I'l^mi- ^^J^^j'^J^jP"^*?*' 

 tranfparent precipitate, I faw that it contained fomething 

 more than the fait refuhing from the decompolition of foap. 



Third Experiment. — I then precipitated a certain quantity 

 of this liquor; I waftied the precipitate and dried it : as it 

 had all tlie phyfical chara6^ers of alumine, I combined it with 

 fulphuric acid ; I added to it a little fulphate of potalh, and, 

 by a flow evaporation, obtained fome very fine alum. We Contains alu- 

 bave therefore already found in this liquor alumine and ful-f^'"^' probably 

 phuric acid, doubtlefs combined in the ftate of alum. alumj 



Fourth Experiment, — It was now requifite to know whether 

 the liquor from which I had feparated the alumine, did not 

 ftill contain fome other fubftance, and I therefore fubmitted 

 it to fome trials by the re-agents, among which the oxigen- 

 aled muriatic acid and theinfufion of nut-galls enabled me 

 to difcover a new body : the firft rendered the liquor turbid, and alfo an ani- 

 and foon afterwards produced white flakes in it j the fecond ™^"^tt"> 

 produced yellowifli-white flakes, in much greater abundance 

 than thofe arifing from the effe(5t of the muriatic acid ; whence 

 I fufpefled that, befides the matters mentioned above, this 

 liquor contained an animal inatter, and more particularly ge- 

 latine. 



Fifth Experiment. — To be better fatisfied of the nature of 

 this fubftance, I evaporated the liquor to drynefs, by means 

 of a gentle heat; I obtained a yellowifti fait, of a bitter tafte, 

 which, by being re-diflblved in water, left a voluminous 

 yellow matter, in the form of flakes, very glutinous, and ac- 

 quiring, by drying, a fort of elafticity. This fubflance, 

 placed on burning coals, fwells and exhales white fume^, 

 which have the odour of ammonia and fetid oil, fuch as are 

 generally given by animal matters. 



I no 



