Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/529

 S P I

S P I

circle, P its pole ; and while the quadrant P M A revolves about the pole P with an uniform motion, if a point pro- ceeding from P move with a given velocity along the qua- drant, it will trace upon the fpherical furface the fpiral PF a.

Now if we fuppofe the quadrant P M A to make "a corn- pleat revolution in the fame time that the point, which traces the fpiral on the furface of the fpherc, defcribes the quadrant, which is the cafe conftdcred by Pappus ; then the portion of the fpherical furface, terminated by the whole fpiral, the circle A RB A, and the quadrant P MA, will be equal to the fquare of A B. In any other cafe, the area PMAflFPis to the fquare of the diameter A B, in the fame proportion as the arch A a is to the whole cir- cumference A RB A. And this area is always to the fphe- rical triangle P A a, as the. inferibed fquare is to the circle. See Mac Laurin's Fluxions, Introd. p. 31 — 33. The portion of the fpherical furface, terminated by the quadrant P M A, the arches AR, FR, and the fpiral PZF, admits of a perfect quadrature, when the ratio of the arch A a to the whole circumference can be affigned. See Mac Laurin, ibid. p. 33. SPIRINCHUS, a name by which fome authors have called the (melt. V/illughby, Hut. Pifc. p. 202. See the article Eper-

J.ANUS.

SPIRITS (Cycl.) — Brandy Spirits. Brandy differs from wine fpirit, in that the former is drawn from the poorer and thin- ner forts of wines, the latter from the richer and fuller bo- died wines. Shaw's Eff. on Diftil. p. 128. Brandy alfo differs irom. fpirit of wine, as the former is only what they call proof high, or half pure fpirit, half phlegm ; whereas fpirit of wine is raifed higher, or carried by rec- tification to a further degree of purity. Brandy alfo differs from ftrong waters, as the latter is a compound, whereof the former, or pure fpirit of wine, is only one ingredient.

The Portugueze are lately come into the way of making brandy b. The Greek brandies are the worft, though made of the beft wines c. — [ b Atlas Marit. p. 154. c lournf. Voyag. du Levant, Tom. I. let. 2. p. 35.] The Spanifh brandies are much coaifer than the French, though fometimes made to pafs for them in Holland, and other places of great traffic d. Some prefer Rhenifh brandy to that of France ; and in Holland particularly, it fells for double the price. It is indeed a fine fpirit, but the Englifh know little of it farther, than that a dafh thereof ferves to fill up acafk of French e. Some tell us of frozen brandy, of which Mr. Boyle gives an inffance in Ruffia j but it is only the watery part that is capable of congelation. All the effect of the moft intenfe cold on brandy, is to make a fe- paration between its fpirit and phlegm ; the former retires to the center in form of pure alcohol, while the latter in- verts it with a circumference of ice f. — [ d Shaw's Efl". on Diftil. feet. 5. p. 139. e Id. ibid. p. 141, feq. ( Boyle's. Works Abr. Tom. 1. p. 594.] Brandies always differ, according to the different fpecies and growth of the grapes. We have various kinds of French fpirits, having each their particular flavours, by which the connoifeurs readily diftinguifh one fort from another ; though the vulgar call them all indifcriminately by the name of French brandy. An ordinary judgment may eafily diftinguifh Languedoc brandy from that of the ifles of St. Martin and Oleron ; or Bourdcaux from Cognac. Nor would the fi- militude between the feveral fpecies of French brandies be fo great as it is found, but that only the weakeft and loweft flavoured wines are diftilled for this purpofe ; or fuch as are unfit for other ufes. When out of curiofity, or good hufbandry, the French diftil the bottoms, or rcfufe parcels of the groflcr bodied and fuller tafted wines, the brandy got from them is what we in England rather call a -wine fpirit, than a brandy. Every kind of grape, as it affords ,a wine, fo does it alfo a brandy of its own peculiar flavour. Shaw's Eff. on Diftil. feet. 5. p, 130, feq.

The too free and frequent ufe of brandy is attended with ill effects, as it attenuates the body, and impairs the ftrength, and ftupifies the brain. In peifons who have died hereof, the blood has been found thick and coagulated ; the pan- creas dried ; the liver fchirrous, and almoft petrified ; the glands tumefied beyond their natural bulk &, effc. But what mail we fay to the Parifian woman, whu was burnt to afhes with a fire only kindled from the brandy in her body h r Conringius even attributes the degeneracy of the modern from the antient Germans, to the prevelancy of drinking this liquor '.— [ g Hift. Acad, Scienc. Anno 1706. p. 29. Barth. Act. Med. Tom. V. Obf. 118. p. 313. " Philof. Tranf. N° 97. p. 6138. Barth. I.e. Tom. I. Obf. 118. p. 21 1. ' Conr'ing. de Habit. Corp. Germ. p. 99, feq. J In the hot climates of America, they are laid to make clyfters of brandy. A perfon who had experienced the ufe of one of thefe fiery enemata, made of a pint of brandy, aiTures us, it not only made him dead drunk, but raving mad. Phil. Tranf. N° 37. p. 721.

Brandy is alfo applied, in a leis proper fenfe, to all fpiri tu- rns inflammable liquors, drawn from vegetables by cliftilla- tlon.

In which fenfe brandy includes all ardent, or inflammable fpirits, ufed in the way of beverage. Dr. Shaw adds a fur- ther limitation to brandy fpirits, viz. that they be proof high, or confift of equal quantities of water and alcohol. On which footing, fpirits, either above or below proof, do not come under the appellation of brandies k. But in the popular ufe this di function is not kept to. — [ k Shaw's Eff. on Diftil. feet. 5. p. 130.]

Arrac, rum, malt and melaffes fpirits, in this fenfe, are brandies, though under another denomination. In the ifland of Andros they make brandies from the fruits of the arbutus and mulberry trees. Atlas Marit. p. 176. A patent was fome time ago obtained for making brandy from carrots and parfneps; the latter of which is faid to have nearly refembled French brandy l. Of late we meet with frequent advertifements of ni'ii'm-bratidy, which, if really made of that fruit, is nearer! akin to -wine-brandy. — [' Hought. Collect. Tom. II. p. 382. 461.] Apple, or cider-brandy, is alfo praifed by fome. Cider is found to yield an eighth part of good fpirits, and if clofe kept a year or two in a cool place, much more. Diet. Ruft. Tom. I. in voc.

Brandy is alfo ufed to denote certain compound liquors, whereof brandies are the bafts.

Such are r^beny- brandy, cherry -brandy, goofeberry-bran- dy, &c.

Cherry- brandy is ufually made with black cherries, by filling a bottle half full with them, and adding brandy thereto till the bottle be full ; this being fhaken from time to time, within a month will be ready to drink.

If the like quantity of goofebcrries, inftead of cherries, be put in, it makes a good brandy. To dulcify it, and give it a fine flavour, they alfo put in fugar with rafpberries. Diet. Ruft. Tom. I. in voc. cherry-brandy.

The French method of diftilling brandies is the fame with that practifed by our diftillers, in working from wafh or wines ; only that the former throws a little of the natural lee into the ftill along with the wine, which gives the fpirit a flavour, on which a great part of its merit depends. Shaw, lib. cit. p. 132.

When brandies prove foul, feedy, or retain the tafte of cer- tain weeds apt to grow among the vines, they draw them over again, in order to cleanfe them of that adventitious flavour : in which operation they leave out the faints, or rather change the receiver, as foon as the ftream begins to run proof. Then mixing together all that run off before, they call it trots cinque, that is, brandy confiding of five parts alcohol, and three of flegm ; beyond which the French bru- leurs, or common diftillers, rarely go.

The yearly export of brandies from France is faid to amount to' 25000 tuns; an article of itfelf fufficient to enrich a moderate country m. While the duty on French brandy continued at 9/. the tun, the Englifh alone took 10 or 11000 tuns off their hands n ; but now that the duty is raifed to 52/. the tun, the importation is greatly reduced, to the advantage of the Englifh Diftillery, except that fmug- gling ftill intervenes. — [ m Atlas Marit. p. 146. " Compl. Engl. Trad. Tom. II. p. 89. Atlas Marit. p. 107. Hought. Collect. Tom. II. N° 387. p.470.]

Divers reafons may be alledged for the great fecundity of brandies in France. All thofe poor grapes, which prove unfit for wine, are ufually firft gathered, preffed, and their juice fermented, and directly diftilled : this rids their hands of their poor wines at once, and leaves their cafks empty for the reception of better. It is a rule with them to diftil no wines that will fetch any price as wines, for in this ftate the profit on them is vaftly greater, than when reduced to brandies. This large ftock of fmall wines, wherewith they are almoft over-run in France, fhews one great reafon of their making fuch vaft quantities of brandy, more than other countries, which lie warmer and better for grapes. But this is not the only fund of their brandies ; for all the wine that pricks, or turns eager upon their hands, is alfo con- demned to the ftill; and, in fhort, all that they can neither export, nor confume at home, which amounts to a large quantity, fince much of the wine, laid in for their family provifion, is fo poor, as not to keep the fpending. Shaw's Eff. on Diftil. feet. 5. p. 131, feq.

The colour of their brandies is acquired from the caik, and the length of time they ufually lie therein, which is fome- times twelve or eighteen months, and often two or three years ; during which, it is no wonder if they acquire a yellow or brownifh caft. Their lying thus long, as it were, in a ftate of flow digeftion, wonderfully takes off from that hot, acrid, and foul tafte, peculiar to all fpirits, or brandies, newly diftilled ; and gives them a coolnefs and a foftnefs, not eafily introduced by art. And on thefe properties are founded feveral methods of trying their goodnefs, or dif- covering whether they are dehafed or adulterated by the ad- mixture of coarfer fpirits. Phil. Tranf. N° 391. p. 398, feq. Shaw's Eft', on Diftil. feet. 5. p. 134. Brandies are rarely adulterated in France, where they have no cheaper fpirits to debafe them withal ; and the like holds, in great meafure, in favour of the Dutch, though other- wife