Procefs for feparating Mucilage from Linfeed Ol. 63 
“phial was covered with drops fimilar to thofe produced by 
holding a wet bottle to dry before the fire. I then fhook it 
well, w vhich made the contents look muddy, and fet it to reft 
again. After a time it became clear, and a portion of tranf- 
parent liquof, like water, lay at the bottom. I then repeated 
the fhaking and {etting it to reft, till no beditiineal quantity 
of this fluid was feparated: 
By trying this~experiment repeatedly upon oils. procured 
from different places, I found that fome oils afforded much 
more mucilage than others. From fome I feparated a third 
part of mucilage e; from others, a pint would not afford more 
than a table- fpoontuh and fometimes lefs. Whether this 
difference in the refult was radically in the oils, or from a 
difference in the proceffes conduted by means fo variable as 
the heat of the fun, I am not able to afcertain. 
Upon trying the fame experiment with nut and poppy oil, 
I found the es refult, but in a different degree. The 
average quantity afforded by nut oil was, I bling, not more 
than a third part of the ayerage of linfeed oil; and the ave- 
rage of the poppy oil was not fo much asa fixth, In fome 
eafes, particularly of the poppy oil, I did not obtain any. 
The colour of the oil always sented as the mucilage 
was abftracted; but the mucilage was always as colourlefs 
as water. It is a queftion I w ill not pretend to decide, whe- 
ther the colour of thefe oils depends upon the prefence of the 
mucilage, or upon any other principle which is deftroyed by 
the aétion of light. I have in fome inftances had the oil as 
éolourlefs as water. 
This decompofition of the oils, if it may be fo, called, is 
curious, as proving the mucilage in them; but, as it is very 
troublefome, may it not be advifable to prefer thofe which 
have naturally the-leaft mucilage in their compofition ? 
After pouring the oils from the mucilage, I put feveral 
quantities of the latter together, and found them mix with- 
out any difficulty. I mixed this mucilage with water, and 
found it unite with it in any proportion without becoming 
turbid. I laid it upon plates of metal, expofing them to dry 
an the fun and before the fire, and, when dry, wafhed them | 
with a {punge and water: but it fhewed no tendency to dif- 
6 folve ; 
