io Fads for a Hhtori/ of the Gallic Add. 



The produce from the distillation was a limpid liquoT^^ 

 colourless, and slightly acid, neither precipitating glue nor 

 sulphate of iron. 



The liquor saturated by the alkaline base was evaporated 

 to dryness : being afterwards dissolved in distilled water, 

 sulphuric acid was added until it was slightlv in excess, aild 

 it was distilled in a retort ; the produce was successively ex- 

 amined : a liquid, without taste or smell, first came over ; 

 soon afterwards the liquor was acid, and contained neither 

 sulphuric nor gallic acid. 



I made a similar experiment with boiling instead of cold 

 water: the liquor remained always turbid, although filtered 5 

 when submitted to distillation and combined with soda, I 

 obtained the same results. 



These experiments suggested to me the existence of an 

 acid ready formed in galls, and the possibility of obtaining 

 it by distillation. 



Accordingly I heated to ebullition In a common alembic 

 a kilogramme (2 lb. 3oz. Cdr. avoird.) of galls, coarsely 

 povvdtreJ, with double the weight of water. The distilled 

 liquor, as M. Deveux observed, was a little milky, aroma- 

 tic, and on standing deposited a little flocculent sediment. 

 I changed the receiver, when about two-thirds of the liquor 

 had come over, and I continued the distillation till it be- 

 came coloured. 



The first product was acid; reddened tincture of litmus; 

 and had no action on lime or barytes water, nitrate of mer- 

 curv, acetate of lead, suljjhate of iron, or glue. 



The second product was turbid, coloured, a little empy- 

 reumatic ; its acidity was more marked; and it precipitated 

 the metallic solutions above mentioned^ but did not act on 

 glue. 



Each of these acid liquors was saturated with potash. The 

 first yielded a foliated salt, which, on the addition of sul- 

 phuric acid, gave out a smell of acetic acid. Part of this 

 salt was dissolved in distilled water : the excess of its base 

 was accurate'y saturated by nitric acid, and nitrate of mer- 

 cury at a minimum was added to the solution; when a pre- 

 cipitate was formed which had all the characters of acetate 



of 



