36 On the Composition of [J6ly, 



liquors contain the same quantity of water, we observe between 

 them, either with respect to changes in their specific gravity by 

 farther additions of water, or with respect to their other properties, 

 differences too slight to be exactly determined, or to have any 

 influence in the experiments about which I am occupied. 



I distilled slowly over a water bath, through a tube of porcelain 

 heated to redness, and inclined a little, Sl*37 grammes (1256-7 

 grains) of the alcoholic liquor, which, as indicated by its specific 

 gravity, contained 70*14 grammes (1083-3 grains) of the alcohol 

 of Richter, and 11-23 grammes (173'4 grains) of water. The 

 products of this operation passed into a narrow glass tube, a metre 

 and a half (59*056 inches) long, surrounded with ice, and answering 

 the purpose of a worm. It communicated with a small globular 

 vessel placed to receive the liquid products, and to transmit the 

 gas to the water trough. This distillation continued 14 hours, and 

 furnished, 



1. In the porcelain tube 0-05 gramme (0-77 grain) of charcoal. 



2. Chiefly in the glass tube 0-41 gramme (6-±- grains) of a mixture 

 of volatile crystals in thin plates, and an essential oil, browa 

 coloured, liquid, and having a strong odour of benzoin and empy- 

 reumatic. This product, whatever be its composition, is too small 

 in quantity to be of much consequence in this analysis. The expe- 

 riments which I have made on some essential oils induce me to 

 consider them as composed of 0*7 carbon, 0*2 oxygen, 0-1 hydro- 

 gen. I have applied this estimate to the oil obtained by the decom- 

 position of alcohol. 



3. I collected in the globular vessel, and in other parts of the 

 apparatus, 17*24 grammes (l'66-3 grains) of water, destitute 

 of colour, and slightly impregnated with alcohol. Its specific 

 gravity, at the temperature of 68°, was 0-9942. This indicates a 

 mixture of 16*59 grammes (256-2 grains) of water, and 0*65 

 gramme (10*1 grains) of the alcohol of Richter. This reduces the 

 70*14 grammes of alcohol operated on to 69-49 grammes (1073-2 

 grains). This water reddened vegetable blues, and had the taste 

 and smell of vinegar. It formed acetate of potash with that 

 alkali ; but the weight of the salt amounted only to five centi- 

 grammes (0*77 grain). This water was likewise rendered slightly 

 muddy by nitrate of silver, and gave out vapours scarcely sensible 

 at the approach of muriatic acid ; but this acid did not produce a 

 ponderable quantity of muriatic acid. In consequence of the very 

 small proportions in which these substances were present, I may 

 consider the liquid as a mere mixture of water and alcohol, in the 

 proportions indicated by the specific gravity. 



4. The oxycarbureted hydrogen gas resulting from the decompo- 

 sition of the alcohol, at the temperature of 52i°, when the baro- 

 meter stood at 28*375 inches, and when saturated with moisture, 

 occupied the bulk of 8/*0f litres (5313*7 cubic inches), which 

 weighed 60-25 grammes (930*5 grains), taking the mean of five 



