DeteBion of the Prefence of Lead in Wine, 345 



panded half a divifion, but in lefs than a minute it began to 

 contract, and continued to do fo for an hour, when I drew off 

 the fand. It was now full to divifions ihorter than at firft, 

 fo that it had imbibed a great deal of moifture from the air, 

 which it again parted with to the heated fand. Three hours 

 afterwards, when the rod was cool, I again poured the fand on 

 it, heated as before. It now continued to expand for about 

 three minutes, when its length was increafed %\ divifions, it 

 then began to contract, and became full 3 divifions (horter 

 than when the fand was poured on it. I caufed the fand to 

 run off once more, and let the rod cool. Then heating the 

 fand 250 by a thermometer, I poured it on the rod, and in 

 a few minutes it expanded 3 J divifions, it then began to con- 

 tract (lowly, and in 15 minutes it became 2-3ds of a divifion 

 fhorter than at firft. On the whole, I concluded that the ex- 

 panfion of wood, in its length, will be irregular, correfpond- 

 mg partly to the warmth, and partly to the moifture of the 

 atmofpherc. 



LVI. Obfervations on the Means of detecling the Prefence of 

 Lead in Wine. By C. O. Reinecke *. 



JL O gratify fordid avarice at the expenfe of the health of 

 mankind, by communicating to four wines a fallacious fweet^ 

 nefs by means of the oxide of lead, is a crime which for the 

 dignity of the human race we fhall fuppofe to be committed 

 rather through ignorance than want of principle. Haifa 

 bottle of Chably wine was lately fent me to teft, with a no- 

 tice 1 , that a perion, whofe opinion, on account of his talents, 

 was entitled to great refpe&, had tried this wine, and be- 

 lieved that he had found in it oxide of lead. To accomplifli 

 the object in view I employed the following means : 



I ft, After being allured that the feal with which the cor- 

 refpondent had marked the half bottle was in good preferva- 

 tion, I began to examine the phyfical properties of the wine 

 it contained. It was perfectly clear, had fcarccly any colour, 

 and had formed no depofit. The tafte of this liquor alone 

 convinced me that it had not experienced that adulteration 

 of which it was fufpected ; it had that pure and pungent 

 tafte, which is fo much liked in Chably wine, without the 

 flighted traco of that perfidious fwe'etnefs communicated by 

 acetite of lead, and which always betrays itlelf by a ftvptic 

 relifh, however fmall may have been the quantity of this 

 poifon mixed with the liquor. 



* From the Annates de Cbi'mict No. 114. 



2d, As 



