Miscellanies. 38 | 
had lain there from 1794, and both the timbers and flooring were 
very little injured by rot. 
- concluded, that a free circulation of air must be allowed, or air 
must be entirely excluded, to save timber from decay. 
It has been found, that when posts are set in the ground and eased 
with boards for better appearance, the confined air destroys them. 
Even red cedar, which lasts an age when set open, if cased, which 
is often done for ornament in gate posts, decays as soon as any other 
wood, by the confined air. 
7. The odor of wines, due to a peculiar ether. By MM. J. 
Lresic anp Petouze. (Ann. de Ch. et de Phys. Oct. 1836.)—It 
is a fact of common observation, that a bottle containing but a few 
drops of wine, gives off a peculiar odor, which cannot be imitated 
by mixing alcohol and water in the proportions in which they exist in 
the wine. ‘This characteristic odor, which is more or less apparent 
in all wines, is produced according to MM. Liebig’ and Pelouze, by 
a fluid possessing all the characters of an essential oil. The flower, 
aroma, or bouquet of wine, as it is more especially called, is produced 
by a substance which is inodorous, and should not be confounded 
with the subject of these remarks; it is not volatile, is different in 
the several kinds of wines, and in many fails entirely. 
This oil may be obtained by distilling large quantities of wine, or 
the lees of wine, or especially from the product deposited after fer- 
mentation has commenced. From the results obtained they infer 
that this oil constitutes about ;,4;5 part of the wine. The oil as. 
thus obtained, before purification, has a strong odor, and is generally 
colorless. Occasionally it presents a slightly greenish tint, derived 
from the presence of a small quantity of copper, as is proved by rea~ 
gents; this color may be removed by distillation. 
e constitution of this product, though it contains a considerable 
quantity of oxygen, is quite different from that of the oxygenated es~ 
sential oils heretofore known. It proves to be a peculiar ether con- 
taining an acid allied to the fatty acids. ‘This new acid is called by 
its discoverers, enanthic acid, and the ether, consequently, wnanthic 
ether. * 
(Enanthic ether.—The cenanthic ether may be deprived of any 
free acid it may contain, by agitation with a hot solution of carbonate 
of soda, and subsequently boiling the mixture ; the ether rises to the 
surface and may be readily removed. The small quantity of water 
or alcohol which it still retains, may be separated by means of the 
