FREED FROM THE ACTION OF GRAVITY. 4] 
the same proportions of water, alcohol and oil. After this we 
invert these flasks rapidly a great number of times, but without 
shaking them, until the oil has been divided into spherules of 
the size of a pin’s head: the whole is then left to rest. Then, 
if the alcohol of the mixture is in proper quantity, the spherules 
should sink with extreme slowness, so as to take about a quarter 
of an hour for the greater part to collect at the bottom of the 
flasks. If it is otherwise, water or alcohol is to be added as may 
be required, the contents to be mixed by inverting the flasks 
several times, as above, then left again to settle, and the opera- 
tion thus te be recommenced until the result is obtained which 
I have described. When this point is obtained, the whole is 
thrown upon filters, care being taken to cover the funnels con- 
taining these last with plates of glass; this precaution is neces- 
sary in order to prevent as much as possible the evaporation of 
the alcohol, and for another reason of which we shall speak 
hereafter. The alcoholic liquor passes the first through the 
filters, ordinarily carrying with it a certain number of very mi- 
nute spherules of oil. When the greater part has thus passed, 
the spherules become more numerous; what still remains in the 
first filters, namely the oil and a residue of alcoholic liquor, is 
then thrown into a single filter placed on a new flask. This last 
filtration takes place much more slowly than the first, on account 
of the viscosity of the oil; it is considerably accelerated by re- 
newing the filter once or twice during the operation. If the 
funnel has been covered with sufficient care, the oil will collect 
into a single mass at the bottom of the flask, under a layer of 
alcoholic liquor. 
The preceding operations have thus given us the following 
results :—on the one hand the inert alcoholic mixture, still hold- 
ing a small excess of alcohol, and containing a certain number 
of small spherules of oil; on the other hand, the oil equally inert, 
and covered with a little of this same alcoholic liquid. Now, a 
second filtration completely clears the first from the spherules 
which it holds ; with respect to the oil, it is extracted from below 
the alcoholic layer by means of a small siphon armed with a 
lateral tube, and received into a dry flask which is to be per- 
fectly corked. In this manner we have the two liquids separate, 
and inactive with regard to each other. When it is desired to 
use them, if we perceive that the alcoholic liquid is a little too 
dense, we correct it with pure alcohol; and if, on the contrary, 
