i34 Nf)t ice respecting some Experiments on Alcohol. 



to the temperature of about 120 iJeg. by a water bath of 

 that temperature. The substancts forming the different 

 strata united together, and formed a colourless liquor, which 

 had ihc specific gravity and all the other properties of the 

 alcohol from which it was obtained. This experiment was 

 repented several times, and the results were uniform, af- 

 fording sufficient evidence that the alcohol had not been 

 decomposed by this process, but that the superior strata con- 

 sisted of foreign substances which it had held in solution. 

 1 he variety in the form of the crystals obtained by former 

 experiments, was therefore most likely occasioned by the 

 presence of these foreign substances, — a phsenomenon not 

 uncommon in chemistry. 



The result of these experiments led me now to perceive, 

 that the assumption that alcohol, prepared by Kichter's 

 process, is perfectly pure, or at most contains only a very 

 minute portion of water, is entirely- gratuitous. The di- 

 luted alcohol of commerce, from which the more concen- 

 trated is obtained, is well known to contain different vola- 

 tile impurities; and since Richter's process makes no pro- 

 vision for the separation of these, we ought rather to ex- 

 pect still to meet with some portion of them in alcohol pre- 

 pared in this manner. 



I next proceeded to examine the properties of the dif- 

 ferent substances into whicii I had separated Richter's'alco- 

 hol : but the time \ had now left for this purpose was too 

 short for making much progress in this inc|uiry ; a few onlv 

 of their habitudes with water, and with one annlhcr, were 

 all thai I had time to examine; even these I could examine 

 only imperfectly. 



The lowermost stratum, or nearly colourless fluid, which 

 T have called aVohoi, had no flavour, and produced on the 

 organ of smell only a sharp pimgent sensation. It has 

 the remarkable property of smoking when exposed to the 

 air, and when diluted with water it differs considerably in 

 taste from common diluted spirit of wine. 



The pale yellow substance, or second stratum, has a pun- 

 gent taste, leaving an impression of sweetness. It has a 

 very strong but aa;reeab!e smell. When mixed with the 

 alcohol, and diluted with water, it has very much the fla- 

 vour or the better kinds of Highland whisky. It readily 

 dissolves in water, and comnumicatcs to that fluid its pe- 

 culiar flavour. 



The pale yellowish green substance which composes the 

 uppermost straium, has a strong and very offensive smell, 

 and a very sharp nauicous taste, it dissolves in alcohol, 



to 



