VOL. LIX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIOSTS. 635 



above quantity. One end of a bent tube was luted into this vessel, so that no 

 air might escape but through the tube; the other end was loosely inserted 2 

 inches within the mouth of another large bottle, charged with 400 grs. of iron 

 filings, and 6o oz. of distilled water. After remaining 12 hours in this situation, 

 the sugar working briskly, an ounce phial was let down gently into the bottle, 

 and filled. The water from the phial, with one drop of tincture of galls,* 

 changed in a few minutes to a light rosy purple. The liquor being shaken, and 

 another phial full taken up soon after, one drop of the tincture gave a deeper 

 colour than before. In 1 and -i- hour more, after being shaken again, the phial 

 full received a still deeper purple, from the like quantity of tincture. The 

 bottle continuing as before near 5 hours longer; when the quantity of fixed air 

 fi-om the fermenting liquor was supposed sufficient to have saturated the water; 

 the liquor appeared very turbid on being shaken ; and, after standing another 

 hour, under the tube, to settle, the whole was filtered. 



Thirty oz. of the clear liquor was poured into 2 Florence flasks, and the re 

 mainder into phials, which were afterwards well corked. Two of these phials 

 had their corks dipped into melted resin, so as to cover the mouths of the bottles. 

 Two others were enclosed with a paste of lute. Notwithstanding the above pre- 

 cautions to prevent the escape of air, the liquors in each soon became turbid, and 

 by the next morning deposited yellow sediments. 



This water had a smart chalybeate taste, somewhat resembling spa water; 

 with a slight flavour of the fermenting liquor. One drop of tincture of galls 

 gave a rosy purple colour to a wine-pint of this water. Syrup of violets turned 

 it green.-|- Soap lees, or even alkaline salts, either fixed or volatile in their na- 

 tural states, soon changed this liquor green, and rendered it turbid, whence a 

 yellow sediment ensued. But neither of the alkaline salts, when previously satu- 

 rated with fixed air, produced any perceptible alteration. Nor did any visible 

 change happen on the addition of acids. 



The 30 oz. of water, in the flasks before-mentioned, after being boiled 20 

 minutes, to expel the air, became very turbid, and let fall sediments. The 

 clear liquor being decanted, the remainder was passed through a filter, and, 

 after drying, the paper appeared to have gained 2-j- grs. This ochrous residuum 

 could not be again dissolved in water, by means of fixed air; but was soluble in 

 the vitriolic acid. The solution, diluted and filtered, received no colour from 

 galls, until alkali was added to saturate the redundant acid; after which it struck 



• This tincture was made by infusing J oz. of powdered galls in 8 oz. of proof spirit, for 4 days, 

 without heat. — Orig. 



t Simple distilled water, saturated with fixed air, by any means I have tried, makes no change 

 in syrup of violets: and, when mixed with soap, does not curdle. Orig. 



4 M 2 



