42 
ACTION OP ETHER ON GALLS. 
the ether and alcohol. This is a greenish-yellow sparkling 
powder. The product resulting from the evaporation of the 
upper layer, formed by the action of a small quantity of water, 
is of deeper green than the former, consisting of much tan- 
nin, green coloring matter, and other impurities: the lower 
liquid yields a powder of a yellowish color, which is tannin 
contaminated with a small quantity of brown coloring matter. 
In the case of three layers the results are similar as regards 
the etherial and syrupy portions, while the aqueous yields a 
product apparently intermediate between the others, but small 
in proportion to the amount of liquid. 
This etherial solution, by filtration through animal charcoal, 
is, in color, greener than before, but of less intensity. The 
products resulting from the evaporation of the various liquids 
are also less colored, with the exception of the etherial por- 
tion which still retains its green color unaltered. When ether, 
previously washed with water to separate alcohol, is substi- 
tuted for ordinary ether, the resulting liquid is greener, but 
with less depth of colour, and occasionally deposits a small 
amount of a very light, yellow, oily solution of tannin, and on 
evaporation yields a smaller product. When the oily matter 
does not appear, it may be produced by agitation with water, 
much less, however, of this liquid being required in this than 
on the former occasion; a larger addition also resulting in 
three layers as before, the only difference consisting in the 
lower portions being a yellow of much less depth. These dif- 
ferent liquids on evaporation yield products similar to those be- 
fore mentioned, with the exception that the results from the 
lower portions contain less coloring matter. 
If this etherial solution from hydrated ether be well mixed 
with alcohol, in proportion of four measures to one, and then 
agitated thoroughly with one measure of water, the mixture 
will lose its transparency, but without becoming milky, and 
on repose will gradually separate into two portions, the lower 
of which is limpid and colorless, buL not syrupy in consist- 
ence, while the color of the upper etherial solution has in- 
creased in depth. These two solutions on evaporation yield 
