ON KEEPING DISTILLED WATERS. ^7^ 



IX. 



On the mucilaginous State of Distilled Waters: by Mr. 



BUCIIOLZ*. 



It is well known, that distilled waters spoil more or less Distilled waters 

 quickly. They become mucilaginous, deposit a flocculent"P^ '"spoils, 

 sediment, lose their smell and taste, and often acquire a 

 fetid smell and putrid taste; all which appears to take 

 place most frequently in waters destitute of essential oil. 



It is known too, that this change proceeds more rapidly circumstance* 

 in proportion as the water contains but little oil; and if favourable to 

 the distillation have been performed hastily, the flocculent 

 sediment forms presently after, as in elder-flower water, 

 linden water, &c. 



Distilled waters spoil equally in open vessels, and in ves. They spoil m 



sels closely stopped: but the chanse takes place more*^'"^^^"*^ '? 

 "^ ^^ ° ^ open vessels. 



epeedily in very close vessels. 



We have two questions then to solve: What is the cause 

 of this alteration ? And what are the means of obviating it? 



As waters distilled with the greatest care undergo this The oil sup- 

 change, it maybe suspected, that the oil is decomposed, ^'^'^®*^ *^^^ 

 and converted into mucilage K Bauhoff's experiments tend 

 to support this opinion. He dissolved in common distilled 

 water, essential oil of peppermint, of fennel, of lemons, 

 and of valerian. These waters, which were perfectly 

 limpid, were kept in closely stopped bottles at the common 

 temperature; and in a few weeks they became turbid, let 

 fall a flocculent, mucilaginous sediment, and lost their 

 smell. 



A fetid smell however does not always indicate the total But they may 

 disappearance of the essential oil. Bauhoff examined some ||^g^^':'^'^J^'^||^^"'**^ 

 spoiled rosewatcr, that had been kept in a close vessel, destroyed. 

 The surface of this water was covered with a black pellicle, 



* Ann. de Chim. vol. Ixiii, p. 90. Abridged from Tromsdorif's 

 Pharmaceutical Journal, by Mr. Vogel. 



f This appears inconsistent with wliat is said in the first para- 

 graph. In the experiments of BauhofF, that follow, as the term 

 dissolved is employed, no doubt sugar or mucilage was used as an 

 intermedium for uniting the oil and water. C. 



and 



