332 Mr Conne.u on the Action of 
In none of these experiments, therefore, was there the least 
appearance of those indications which led to the conclusion of 
the existence of water in alcohol; and it would appear, that, if 
the results were sufficient in the one case to warrant that conclu- 
sion, the experiments with ether equally justify the contrary in- 
ference, that water does not enter into the constitution of the 
latter fluid. If water existed as such in ether, I have little 
doubt, from the example of alcohol, that it would have yielded 
to the decomposing influence of the pile, and that we should 
have observed the evolution of at least one of its constituents ; 
but in none of the analogous circumstances was such an indica- 
tion observed. 
III. Some general considerations on the intimate Constitution of 
Alcohol and Ether. 
Every one knows that the elements of alcohol are in such 
proportions, that, when taken in conjunction with the specific 
gravity of its vapour, it may be represented by one volume of 
olefiant gas and one volume of the vapour of water condensed 
into one volume; and in like manner, that ether may be repre- 
sented by two volumes of olefiant gas and one volume of aqueous 
vapour condensed into one volume. But it is one thing to say 
that these fluids may be thus represented, and another and a 
very different thing to hold that olefiant gas and water actually 
enter into their constitutions as such in these proportions. We 
at present know so little of the manner in which the ultimate 
elements of those substances which occur in or result from or- 
ganic nature are united, that it is only with great caution that 
special views of their mode of combination should be received. 
Of late a great disposition has been manifested, particularly on 
the Continent, to adopt such particular views, and to express the 
constitution of those substances more closely allied to organic 
