A VINOUS SMELL. 299 



ETHER 



exists in all wines, and imparts to them such a distinc- 

 tive character, that if only a few drops of wine be left 

 in a bottle, it will retain the vinous smell for days and 

 weeks, not, however, having the agreeable odour of bou- 

 quet, but something like wine which has been exposed 

 to evaporation. It is a fetid ethereal liquid, which, 

 accordiog to analyses made by Liebig and Pelouze, and 

 confirmed by me, consists of C 14 H 13 O 2 + C 4 H 5 O; 

 according to Delffs, of C 18 H 17 O 3 + C 4 H 5 O ; that 

 is, pelargonic ether. This point still remains unde- 

 cided. 



(Enanthic ether is found in the fusel oil of wine, 

 rnoutwyn, and potatoe spirit, so that we are justified 

 in considering it as a product of the fermentation of 

 sugar. I do not, however, deny the statement made by 

 Mohler, who obtained an oil by the distillation of 

 quinces (Pyrus Cydonia) with water, which, when 

 treated with potash, and after the potash compound 

 had been decomposed by an acid, separated a fatty 

 acid, which, so far as he could judge of it, coincided 

 with cenanthic acid. It is very possible that this 

 ether exists in quinces, but it does not exist in grape- 

 skins. If, however, the fatty acid is all extrated from 

 the grape-skins, how could wines prepared from grape- 

 juice become possessed of O3nanthie ether, which is 

 never absent ? 



