Vyrotartareous and Pyrbllgneous Acidss 49 



at lead for conjecturing them to be acids different from each 

 other; and efpecially by comparing thefe characters in acid 

 products furnifhed by kinds of wood very different in their 1 

 properties, and confequently in their products, 



VIII. Rrfleclions on the Frequency dnd the Nature of the 

 different Proccjjes which jurn'ijh Acetous Acid. 



After having proved that mucilages, faccharine bodies, 

 neculre, as well as wood and tartareous compounds, give by 

 diftillation real acetous acid, concealed in the products of 

 each of thefe bodies by a portion of oil, having a peculiar 

 odour, finel), and colour, and that, confequently, we ought 

 to deduct from the number of the vegetable aqids thefe three 

 empyreumatic acids, we thought it might be ufeful to fcience 

 to give fome obfervations here on the production of the 

 acetous acid. The knowledge which the chemical art pof» 

 feffes at prefent refpe&ing this production, though much 

 more extenfive than formerly, has never yet been collected 

 into any work; it may, however, be of great importance in 

 vegetable analyfis : fuch is the motive which induced us to 

 prefent a fhort view of it, without, however, entering into 

 all the details which the fubjed might require in a fytfematic 

 work. 



The formation of the acetous acid, which has always been 

 believed to be neceflarily produced by a fermentation pecu- 

 liar to vinous liquors, is fo frequent in the proceffes of art 

 and the operations of nature, that it is indifpenfably necef- 

 fary to make it a general phenomenon, and to ftudy this 

 phenomenon under the name of aceiifcation, as proper to 

 throw light on the chemical properties of organifed bodies. 

 We may confider it either in regard to fubftances fufceptible 

 of acetification, or in regard to circumitances which favour 

 transformation into acetous acid. 



Under the nrft point of view, befides vinous liquors, which 

 were firft found, and long thought to be, the only ones ca- 

 pable of acetification, we have found a multitude of bodies 

 fufceptible of experiencing this change. There is fcarcely 

 any vegetable <.\l nut in which acetites are not found : fap, 

 if it has been kept only a few hours, contains lonie of it; 



Vol. VII T. H »vei 



