Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 2.djvu/533

 S P I

or bead proof, impaired by the rectification, but alfo gives it a fullnefs in the mouth ; both which properties are very- agreeable to the vulgar, who are the chief" retail confumers of thefe coarfc goods.

Burnt fugar, that is, fugar difTolved in a little water, and fcorched over the fire till it turns black, goes much farther in the colouring than treacle, and at the fame time gives no fweetnefs, but rather an agreeable bitternefs ; and thus re- commends itfelf to the nicer palates, that are not for a luf- cious fpirit. Indeed fugar, thus treated, tinges to a great perfeaiion, and that without lofs of time, and with as much cheapnefs as can well be defired.

The laft article mentioned, namely, oak chips, is of all others the moil natural for the imitating the dye of foreign Jhirits, as it is the very wood whereof the cafks they come over in are made, and from which they take that colour we are fo fond of. The colouring with oak has alfo this farther advanjage, in /pints meant as foph indications of the foreign ones, that it will ftand fome tefls ufually had recourfe to on ihe occafion, which the others will not ftand. Common fpirit poured on oak chips, and digefted in a mo- derate heat, eafily fetches out this refmous part of the wood, on which the colouring depends ; but then it does riot go near fo far as the burnt fugar ; a large quantity of oak being required to colour a fmall parcel of brandy, or fpirits. It is advifeable not to make the tincture every time, but to have recourfe to an extract of this wood in a liquid form : this extract is beft made in two menftruums, alcohol and water, and may be evaporated to any ftrength, fo that a very fmall dofe of it will tinge a great quantity of liquor. Tbe two liquid extracts mult be mixed together, and as they will be apt to feparate in ftanding, it will be proper to add to them, when newly made, a quantity of fine fugar ; this will give a body to the whole, and it will keep better from mouldinefs than it would without it. Show's Eflay on Diftillery. Convertibility of Spirits. This is a doctrine that has obtained among many of the moil curious exp. imenters, and indeed the moft intelligent of our chemift 'nive always allowed, that provided proper care were taken in the getting toge- ther the materials, one fpirit may always be changed into another, as brandy into rum, malt fpirit into brandy, and brandy into malt fpirit. The principles on which this is be- lieved are thefe.

All ample fpirits (as they are called) confift of four parts, water, oil, phlegm, and alcohol : the laft of thefe is the ef- fential part, and is what conftitutes the whole a fpirit. In reducing fpirits, therefore, to their utmoft degree of fimpli- city and purity, it is' evident that the three fuperfluous parts are to be got rid of, and the fourth left alone j by this

■ means the alcohol is procured diftinct, and is a liquor fut ge- neris of many peculiar qualities s not to be found in any other fluid.

Among others it has thefe remarkable properties. I. When abfolutely purified, it is an uniform and homogene liquor, capable of no farther feparation, without lofs or deftructi- on of fome of its homogeneous parts. 2. It is totally in- flammable, having no foot, nor any moifture behind. 3. It has no peculiar tafte or flavour, any more than pure water, except what is owing to its' nature as alcohol, or perfectly pure fpirit. 4. It is an unctuous and crifpy fluid, running veiny in the diftillation, and its drops rolling on the furface of any other fluid, like peafe upon a table, before they unite. 5. It appears to be the eflential oil of the body it is obtained from, broken very fine, and intimately and ftrongly mixed with an aqueous fluid, which is affimilated,

' or changed in its nature in the operation. 6. And laftly, it feems to be a kind of univerfal fluid, producible with the fame properties from every vegetable fubject ; but to pro- duce it thus, requires fame care in the operation. Oft thefe principles is founded the opinion, that all fpirits may be reduced to a perfect fimilarity, or famenefs, from whatever fubject they were procured, and on this depends their convertibility into one another; for when once they are brought to this ftandard of fimplicity, there needs no- thing more than to add the oil of fuch of the finer fpirits as is required to convert the fpirit into that particular kind. By this means the fame taftelefs fpirit} whether obtained from malt, fugar, or grapes, may be made into either malt fpirit, brandy, or rufn, by adding the eflential oil of the grape, fugar, orrnalt; and thus what was once malt fpirit, fha'll become brandy, or whatever elfe the operator pleafes. Many methods have been attempted to obtain the firft point, that is, the reducing the. fpirit to perfect and pure alcohol. The moft practicable means feem to be long digeftion, and the repeated diftillation from water into water, where the enential oil will at once be left upon two furfaces, and the acid imbibed. The fhorter ways are thofe by rectifying from neutral abforbent falts and earths ; fuch are fugar, chalk, arid the like. And laftly, the ufe of fixed alkalies may be tried, for thefe very forcibly keep down both the phlegm and oil ; infomuch that this laft method promifes to be the fhorteft of all, if the art were known of utterly abolifbing the alkaline flavour, which the alcohol is apt to acquire

S P I

in this operation, and which, for this purpofe, is by nd means fuitable, as abfolutely deftroying all vinofity, which umverfally confifts in a fine volatile, pungent acidity. The difhllers are the only people* whofe bufinefs would lead them to make the experiment. This method of converting one fpirit into another, would be of immenfe profit to them if they could perfectly fucceed in it ; but as it would require time and flow proceffea to bring it about, there is but little hope of its ever being brought to bear among them, while they are in their prefent fcheme of doing every thing with dif- patch and hurry.

Dr. Shaw has faid a vail deal in the praife of a taftelefs fpirit, which is producible from a vegetable fubftance, only overlooked, as he tells us, becaufe it is too common, with which all the foreign fpirits might be imitated to the utfnoft perfection by means of their eflential oils, all thin fine wines raifed to any due degree of ftrength, without giving them the brandy flavour, and many other things of great ufe performed ; but he has not told us what the ve- getable fubftance is from which we are to obtain this. Sbazv's Eflay on Diftillery.

Spirits, in medicine, are of ufe, in external applications* to wounds and fores. They ftimulate fores, refill putrefacti- on, harden the fibres, coagulate the liquors, hinder fuppu- ration, and quicken the pulfe when abforbed. Tinctures of abforbent and aromatic powders are often made with the fame intention, and partake of the nature of their ingredients, but principally of the fpirit. Med. Efi". Edinb. Vol. 5. Art. 24. See the articles Absorbents and Aromatics.

The power of brandy, or any thing of this kind, in killing worms, is evident from this, that the children of the people in the northern iflands of Scotland* who are accuftomed from their infancy to drink that coarfe fort of brandy which they call aqua vita, never are troubled with worms. It is a dangerous practice to ufe brandy in this general manner, but on fome occafions it may be very ferviceable. Philof. Tranf. N° 233.

The danger of the frequent and immoderate ufe of fpirits is too well known from experience, and acknowledged by phyficians; but a late ingenious writer thinks it not im- probable that many, efpecially ladies, are led gradually to the ufe of thofe poifons by a certain complaifant pharmacy, too much ufed in the modern practice : thus palfy-drops, poppy-cordial, plague-water, and fuch like, which being in truth nothing but drams difguifed, yet coming from the apothecaries, are confidered only as medicines. He there- fore recommends to them the ufe of tar- water, a cordial not only fafe and innocent, but giving health and fpirit asfurely as other cordials deftroy them. See TAR-water. The fyirits of wine, or other fermented liquors, produce irregular motions, and fubfequent depreffions in the animal fpirits; whereas the fpirit, lodged and detained in the na- tive balfam of pines and firs, is of a nature fo mild and be- nign, and proportioned to the human conftitution, as to warm without heating, to cheer, but not inebriate, and to produce a calm and fteady joy, without that finking of fpirits which is a fubfequent effect of all fermented cor- dials.

Acid Spirits. Acid fpirits extracted from foffils, and applied to animal bodies, coagulate the liquids, and mortify the folids; by being diluted with water, they approach to vi- negar.

By diflblving metallic fubftances in thefe fpirits, their Cor- roding fphacelating power is increafed, and fome of then! give fuch pain, as to bring on convulfions. Med. EfT. Edinb. Vol. 5. Art. 2.

JEiherial Spirit of Frohenhts, fpiritus xtberius Frcbemi, a name given by Frobenius, and others, to a liquor famous for its extreme volatility, and many other qualities, and prepared by him in this manner. Take four pounds of the beft oil of vitriol, and the fame weight of rectified fpirit of wine: firft pour the fpirit of wine into a glafs retort, and then pour to it s by little and little, an ounce of the oil of vitriol, fhake the retort till the two liquors are thoroughly mixed; the veflel will then begin to grow warm; then pour in more of the oit of vitriol, making it again, and fo on, putting in an ounce of the oil of vitriol at a time, and al- lowing about an hour's time for making the whole mixture, lead the fudden violent heat they excite mould burft the veflel. When the whole quantity is perfectly mixed, place the retort in a fand-furnace, the heat of which is as near as poffible the fame with that of the veffel, which will be at this time very confiderable ; take out fome of the hot fand, and place the retort in the center of the reft ; then adding more of the hot fand round it, apply a large re- ceiver to the nofe of the retort ; let this receiver be placed on a veflel of cold water, and covered with a double flannel wetted with cold water j raife the fire gradually, till the drops fall fo faff, that you may count five or fix between •■ each ; and befide thefe drops, the upper hemifphcre of the receiver appears filled with a white vapour. This heat is to be continued fo long as the fpirit fmells like fweet riiar-

I ioram ; as foQn as this aromatic flavour goes off, and the J faieU