464 Count Rumford's Inquiry concerning the 
so expeditiously reduced, by means of ether, I conceived it 
might be possible to perform that chemical process, in the moist 
way , by means of essential oils ; and this conjecture proved to 
be well founded. 
'Experiment No. 14. Upon a quantity of a diluted aqueous 
solution of nitro-muriate of gold, in a small pear-like phial, 
about i|- inch in diameter at its bulb, was poured a small 
quantity of etherial oil of turpentine, just as much as was suf- 
ficient to cover the aqueous solution to the height of of an 
inch ; and the phial, being well closed with a good cork, well 
secured, was exposed one hour to the heat of boiling water in 
a steam-vessel. 
The gold was revived, appearing in the form of a splendid 
pellicle, of a bright gold colour, which floated on the surface 
of the aqueous liquid. The oil of turpentine, which, at the 
beginning of the experiment, was as pale and colourless as 
pure water, had taken a bright yellow hue ; and the aqueous 
fluid, on which it reposed, had entirely lost its yellow colour. 
On shaking the phial, its contents were intimately mixed ; 
but, on suffering it to stand quiet, the oil of turpentine soon 
* .separated from the aqueous liquid, retaining its bright yellow 
hue, and leaving the aqueous liquid colourless. 
On shaking the phial, before it had been exposed to the heat, 
and mixing its contents, and then suffering it to stand quiet, 
the oil of turpentine, on taking its place at the top of the 
aqueous solution, was not found to have acquired any colour ; 
nor was the bright gold colour of the solution found to be at 
all impaired. When sulphuric ether was used, instead of the 
oil of turpentine, the effect was in this respect very different. 
To find out whether the oil of turpentine used in this expe- 
