It may not be improper to give the Marks by which good AETHER may
be known. It is perfectly colourless, except it has receiv'd some
accidental Tinge from the Cork of the Phial in which it has been
kept; and so volatile as to strike the Nose very powerfully. It's
Smell is more or less sulphureous, according to the management of
some Part of the Process. Wetting the Finger with it, or dropping
a little upon the Hand, it vanishes instantly, and leaves no
Moisture behind; so that the Part scarcely seems to have been wet.
Half a Dozen Drops, dropped together upon a Table will disappear
in a few Seconds of a Minute, and leave only the Appearance of a
large oily Ring behind; but if it leaves the least Watery or
Spirituous Moisture, or does not evaporate in much less than a
Minute, it is not good. The best AETHER will dissolve in, or mix
with, a certain Quantity of Water; and that is the best which
requires the largest Quantity of Water to dissolve it: If,
therefore, to fix Tea Spoonsful of Water in a small Phial, you add
one of the AETHER to be examined, cork up the Phial, and shake
them very well together, and upon standing a little while some
part of the AETHER appears at Top, in form of Oil, sufficient to
cover the surface of the Mixture, it may be pronounced good
(provided it also answers, in the other Methods of Trial) and the
more appears the better is the AETHER; but if none appears, or not
enough to cover the surface of the Mixture, it was either
adulterated, or not well rectified.
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