ON ETHER 229 



acid of lemon gave, in every respect, the same result. 

 Neither does the acid of borax afford any ether, either with 

 or without manganese. The acid of amber acts in the same 

 manner, as likewise does the phosphoric acid with manganese, 

 with concentrated vinegar and acid of tartar, with concentrated 

 vinegar and manganese. These substances distilled with 

 spirit of wine yield no ether. The same thing takes place 

 with the following salts : Acetated zinc, acetated mercury, 

 muriated mercury and iron, muriated manganese, nitrated 

 silver, muriated magnesia, salt of benzoin and manganese, 

 fixed caustic alkali and manganese, acid of arsenic, acid of 

 arsenic and manganese. 



SECTION X. 



From the foregoing experiments I should be unwilling to 

 attempt an explanation of the generation of ether; for 

 though it might be concluded, with some degree of certainty, 

 that there is always required a substance to attract the 

 inflammable principle of the spirit of wine, because all the 

 experiments coincide in showing this ; yet still I do not see 

 how this opinion can be held with regard to ether of vinegar 

 and benzoin, as these two vegetable acids have as little affinity 

 with phlogiston as fluor and muriatic acids have. But if you 

 were even to allow that they attract phlogiston, though but 

 weakly, a question still remains : In what manner does this 

 oil of spirit of wine or ether separate from the water with 

 which it was so intimately united ? Perhaps, however, this 

 phenomenon might be explained upon the same principle as 

 the separation of sulphur from hepatic air. It is known that 

 this air is, like spirit of wine, soluble in water, and that it 

 consists of phlogiston, the matter of heat and sulphur. If 

 any substance be added which disunites the phlogiston from 



