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SELECTED ARTICLES. 
then added so long as any precipitate was obtained, by which 
means all the malic acid was thrown down. The liquid was 
then filtered, and set aside to evaporate. The produce of 
evaporation was a thick fluid, of a very sweet taste, and not 
disposed to crystallize: but after exposure in a vacuum, the 
microscope discovered an arrangement of shining particles, 
and I have no doubt that by careful management, distinct 
crystals of sugar might be obtained. At all events, the expe- 
riment proves the existence of sugar in the fruit at this period 
of its ripening, whilst in the immature state not a particle was 
found. A quantity similar to that used in Experiment 1, was 
employed to ascertain the proportion of mucilage, and on ex- 
amination there did not appear to be above half the weight. 
Another selection was also made, and examined as in Experi- 
ment 3, but so small a trace of alcohol was obtained, as 
scarcely to justify a belief in its independent existence. 
Experiment 3. — A quantity of gooseberries was collected 
at the time when they appeared to be fully ripe, and after 
careful bruising were diluted with half their weight of distilled 
water, agitated, and then allowed to settle. During this time 
the vessel containing the fruit was immersed in water cooled 
down to 46°, so that no change could result from the influence 
of heat. Without such precaution it is is obvious that the ex- 
periment would have boen faulty. When the husks and denser 
portions had subsided, the supernatant fluid was carefully 
skimmed off, introduced into a glass vessel with a narrow 
neck, and then saturated with carbonate of potass. When the 
saturation was completed, the fluid swimming at the top was 
removed with a delicate pipette, and dropped upon a bit of 
camphor placed on a slip of glass under a magnifier. On 
looking through the microscope a sort of vibratory motion 
was discovered, the camphor rapidly dissolved, and in a few 
seconds the spirit had evaporated, leaving a thin lamina of 
camphor over the whole extent of surface previously traversed 
by the fluid. 
Another quantity of gooseberries of the same age was col- 
lected, bruised, and submitted to distillation in vacuo. The 
