Ten grains of Elaterium, from the same sample, were treated with
alcohol of the specific gravity ·817, at 66° Fahrenheit, for
twenty-four hours; upon being filtered, and the residuum washed with
successive portions of alcohol, the Elaterium was found to have lost
1·6 of _a grain_. The high specific gravity of the alcohol in this
experiment was important; had it been lower, different results would
have been produced.