One drop of aldehyde produced no appreciable odor.
Six drops of acetic ether produced no sensible effect.
Nor did crystallized acetic acid change the result.
He then added 5 grs. 5 of cream of tartar, 0 gr. 18 of succinic acid, and 20 grs. of glycerin, without producing any odor in the liquid.
On adding certain ethers a remarkable change was produced.
By adding two small drops of œnanthic ether (obtained by distilling fresh wine lees), the liquid instantly gave an odor of wine.
Then he added, drop by drop, one cubic centimetre (1000th part by measure) of essence of pears, that is, the following mixture:
- 1 volume of valero-amylic ether.
- 6 volumes of alcohol of 36 per cent.
The first drops developed a bouquet which belongs to certain wines; but by adding the whole amount mentioned, a pear odor was developed, by which the liquid could be easily distinguished from wine. So he prepared another litre of the liquid containing the same substances, and added only two or three drops of essence of pears. He then added two drops of ordinary butyric ether, and the bouquet resembled in a remarkable degree that of a good Bouzy wine, and several persons took it for a decolored wine. By varying the experiment, the bouquet of wines can be imitated in a remarkable manner.
For those who are curious in such matters, I translate the following from Boireau: