Formation of the Acetous Acid in the Stomach. 355 



ject of my experiments. I luted the whole, and gradu- 

 ally increased the fire until the contents of the retort began 

 to boil. I conrinaed ihe boiling until the liquid in the re- 

 tort had acquired a thick consistence. I took down the ap- 

 paratus, and I found in rav receiver sixteen ounces and a 

 half of a verv white liquid, the smell as well as the taste 

 of which was like that of distilled acetous acid, and pos- 

 sessed ail the properties of the acids. As a gaseous produc- 

 tion I had only a very little carbonic acid, which was easily 

 recognised from the rapidity with which the bubbles of it 

 passed through the water, as well as bv their size. 



5. Although the smell and taste of the p/ouuce of the 

 distillation had already furnished me with strong proofs of 

 the existence of the acetous acid, there certainly must have 

 been combinations. In order to ascertain this positively, I 

 look soda, obtained by means of alcohol, and saturated the 

 whole liquid until it was supersaturated. I filtered and eva- 

 porated to the necessary consistence for obtaining crystals 

 of acetate of soda : I carried into a cool place the porcelain 

 capsule which contained the saline liquor, and next day, to 

 my great satisfaction, observed, upon a simple inspection, 

 that the form of the crystals (which was that of striated 

 prisms, resembling strongly the very small crystals of sul- 

 phate of sodaj was in reality that which belongs to the ace- 

 tate of that name, which I tasted, and the taste of which 

 was bitter, pungent, yielding a sharp taste at the beginning, 

 which ended by being alkaline; and, in short, quite similar 

 to the acetate of soda in every respect. 



6. Apprehensive that the above expeiiinents were not 

 conclusive enough,- I was anxious to satisfy myself more 

 precisely. For this purpose I took half an ounce of the 

 saline substance which I hiid obtained, and dissolved it in 

 six ounces of distilled water. I divided this solution into 

 two equal portions: in the one 1 gradually poured very pule 

 gulphuric acid, less, however, than was necessary for the 

 entire decomposition ; and in the other I poured my solu- 

 tions of barytes. The first p<irtion, which had been decom- 

 posed by the sulphuric acid, as havinti more affinity for soda 

 than this alkali has for the acetous acid, was put into a 



Z 3 small 



