1863.] I'^l [Wetherill. 



A letter was received from Dr. C. M. Wetherill, containing 

 some notice of his observations on the deterioration of ether 

 from age, and its absorption of fusil oil in the special instance 

 described. 



Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C, March 16th, 1863. 



To Sec. Am. Phil. Soc, Philada. 



Dear Sir : I have lately made an observation in my laboratory, 

 which I desire to have recorded, as throwing light upon the deterio- 

 ration of ether by age. I have communicated it to Dr. W. Gr. T. 

 Morton, who deems it very interesting in its relation to anaesthesia. 

 The subject is worthy of a further examination, which my official 

 duties at present forbid. 



I brought with me from Ohio a quart bottle of ether, half of which 

 had been used in the course of former chemical investigations, and 

 which had been found pure. The bottle was stopped with cork, 

 tliroiKjh ivhich the evaporation was too slow to he perceptible. About 

 three months ago, this bottle, by a mistake of measurement by the 

 carpenter in the glass case provided for my chemicals, came in juxta- 

 position with three quart bottles of pure fusil oil. The latter was 

 contained in glass stoppered bottles, the stoppers covered with 

 bladder. One of these bottles had been opened to demonstrate the 

 properties of fusil oil in coaneetion with spirits, and was replaced 

 without restoring the bladder. After this the odor of fusil oil was 

 very perceptible in the neighborhood of the case. About three 

 months later, the ether bottle was taken, and a portion of its contents 

 used for determining the amount of fusil oil in wines and brandies, 

 when it was at once discovered that the ether itself contained fusil 

 oil. On permitting the spontaneous evaporation of the ether in a 

 watch-glass, the oil was observed in abundant globules, the odor was 

 that of amylic alcohol, and the irritating action upon the cuticle of 

 the nose accidentally touching it was very strong. Very pressing 

 official duties prevented a chemical examination by analysis of the 

 oil absorbed by the ether, but the odor was alone sufficient to trace 

 it to the fusil oil bottles. The ether had not been employed until 

 used for the wine and brandy experiments, and had certainly not 

 been meddled with by anybody. The only explanation I can give 

 of the phenomena is, that the bottle of ether standing in an atmo- 

 sphere of amylic alcohol vapor, had received the latter through the 



