VINOUS PERMENTAIION. 37 



The apparatus was placed in a ftove, where the thermometer Filtered goofe- 

 Hood at 20'=' : it was not long before a fermentation was evident ; a^hea/of^zoS 

 a large quantity of carbonic acid was prefently evolved ; much foon fermentedj 

 froth was formed; the liquor loft its tranfparency, and it even ^3°blntc"icuf 

 became fo turbid, that a fediment was thrown down, which was covertd with 

 was more evident as the fermentation approached its end. This ^J"^^^* 



. ., ^ became turbid, 



fediment was of a yellowifli white colour, glutinous, void of anddepofited a 



tafte, grew brown on drying in the open air, and became f«di"ientof a 



(lightly acid. Thrown on redhot coals it burnt in the fame gimi^ous, in- ' 



manner as animal fubftances : diftilled in a fmall retort it af- fipid, grew 



forded a confiderable quantity of carbonate of ammonia even ana^ightW acid! 



cryftallized. It made fugar ferment with extreme prompti- On redhot coals 



tude. In fliort it was a fubftance perfedly analogous to the ^^j'^^j'{5iV.'* 



yeaft of beer. ftance, and af- 



I was eager to try whether this phenomenon were general, ^°/^^^ carbonate 

 , ^° , ,. , r r • 1 • of ammonia 



as It ought to be accordmg to my mode or reaionmg: and m when diftilled. 



faa experience foon taught me, that it was common to all ^^ caufed fugar 

 juice in a ftate of fermentation. The muft of grapes, the is prrfeaiy ana- 

 juice of cherries, pears, peaches, aud apples, and the decoc- logous toyeaft. 



tion of barley and of wheat, afford yeaft in their fermenta- ™' fubftance 

 •' ^ ' ■> common to all 



tion. The grape juice yielded more than the others, though fermenting 



lefs than that of goofeberries : accordingly it did not ferment J"^*^^^' . . 



fo readily as the latter. The juices of cherries and peaches yields moft next 



depofited nearly the fame quantity ; thofe of pears and apples ^ ^^^^ of goofe- 



aflbrded very little, which is the reafon why their fermentation The juices of 



is fo flow. I could have wiflied to have had a greater number P^ars and apples 



of fruits at my difpofal, that I might have varied my experi- ^henlre'they 



ments more: they were fufficient, however, to prove, that, ferment flowly. 



where alcohol is formed, a fediment of yeafl is commonly ]^^^^'°T°"'^ 

 p ' formed where 



lorraed hkewile. II they who have any doubt on the fubjedl alcohol is pro- 

 remaining will maturely coniider the two following experi- <i"ced » 

 ments, I believe they will find themfelves convinced. I knew anrwItcT, ^d 

 that honey diluted with water would gradually be converted diabetic urine. 

 iuto a liquor containing fpirits. Cullen informs us, that the fac- 

 charine urine of a diabetic patient undergoes in time the fame 

 change*- Accordingly I fet both of thefe to ferment, and the 

 fediment of yeafl was formed in each. 



* It was Dr. Dobfon of Liverpool, who firfl found, that diabetic 

 «rme changed firfl into a vinous liquor, and afterward into an 

 acetous, before it became putrid. T. 



It 



