ON ETHEE 225 



The tiuor acid penetrated everywhere through the lute, 

 but no mark of ether was perceptible. (&) I then mixed 

 the spirit which was contained in the receiver with fluor 

 acid air as before; and, having poured the mixture into a 

 retort upon 3 oz. of pounded manganese, I subjected it to 

 distillation. I here obtained a quite different result ; no 

 acid penetrated through the lute ; I only perceived the 

 smell of ether through it ; and, after I had driven over 

 all the spirit, I poured it into another retort, rectified it 

 by a gentle heat, and by this means obtained a small 

 quantity of ether of a very agreeable smell, resembling 

 nearly that of nitrous ether. 



SECTION VI. 



In order to procure a sufficient quantity of concentrated 

 vinegar, I distilled the acid vinegar from acetated copper, 

 and rectified it by another distillation. My view was 

 to prepare and to examine the acetous ether of Count 

 Lauragais ; but notwithstanding all the trouble I bestowed 

 for this purpose, I was not able to produce the least 

 vestige of such an ether. The same disappointment I 

 met with when I used vinegar obtained by distillation 

 from acetated vegetable alkali. It is singular enough that 

 so many of our modern chemists should have acquiesced in 

 the assertion of the Count as an indisputable certainty. 

 Upon communicating my unsuccessful experiment to 

 Professor Bergman, he had the kindness to inform me 

 in answer, that Dr. Porner was the only chemist who 

 had not blindly admitted the Count's assertion, and had 

 asserted that he had not been able to obtain any ether 

 according to the Count's process. But though this be 

 certainly true, I however found the means of obtaining 

 15 



