6 On Waters distilled from inodorous Plants. 



quired a very disagreeable smell, a little similar to that of 

 an animal substance which had begun to putrefy. I also 

 particularly observed that this effect was more evident when 

 the water was kept in transparent bottles exposed to the light, 

 than when kept in such as were opake and placed in the 

 dark ; and lastly, that by separating, by the filter and syphon, 

 the magma which was formed, and afterwards exposing the 

 water for some hours to the air, the putrid smell was en- 

 tirely got rid of, and that of the borage was restored. I shall 

 not now speak of the cause which determines the putrefac- 

 tion of some distilled waters, but there is one circumstance 

 which I ought not to omit; namely, that all waters which 

 are subject to alteration should not only never be kept in 

 transparent vessels exposed to the light, but that such ves- 

 sels should never he sealed hermetically. 



The duration of waters distilled from inodorous plants is 

 rarely more than a vear. At this age the smell becomes con- 

 siderably weaker, and soon afterwards it disappears almost 

 entirely. A careful apothecary ought therefore to renew his 

 stock of distilled waters everv year: without this precaution 

 their effects in medicine cannot be depended on. 



But to return to the question now before us, whether 

 waters distilled from inodorous plants have such decided pro- 

 perties as to entitle them to be introduced into practice. 

 Upon this subject I think there can be no possibility of 

 doubt, if we admit that aroma in general, whatever is the 

 nature of the substance which supplies il, acts in a certain 

 manrier upon the animal ceconomv : thus, as it is proved 

 that we can procure the aroma of any plant, however in- 

 odorous, in such a quantity as to make it perceptible to the 

 smell, it must necessarily follow that the water thus im- 

 pregnated will produce effects proportioned to the quantity 

 and quality of the aroma it contains. In short, the above 

 reasoning is completely proved by actual experiments. 



Of several distilled waters, the effects of which I have as- 

 certained, I shall content myself here with describing the 

 properties of the water distilled from lettuce. How often 

 have \vc heard that this water eujoved no property whatever .! 



It 



