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One particular I remarked relating to the diftilla- 

 tion of this fpirit, that deferves to be mentioned. 

 In diftilling from malt, it is found that towards the 

 end of the operation a quantity of weak fpirit is 

 forced over, which is ftrongly impregnated with a 

 very difagreeable oil, that very much debafes the 

 whole of the fpirits, if it be fuffered to mix with 

 them. To feparate this from them, with as little 

 lofs of good fpirit as poflible, conftitutes one of the 

 principal niceties in the procefs of diftillation from 

 malt. But no fuch phenomenon occurs in the dif- 

 tillation from potatoes ; for I could perceive no 

 difference between the tafte of the very weakeft 

 fpirit towards the end of the operation, and that 

 which came over at the beginning or any other part 

 of the procefs, if equally diluted with water. It 

 would feem that the oil, to which this fpirit owes its 

 fragrance, is in all parts of the procefs feemingly 

 the fame, and always agreeable; contrary to the 

 gout, or goo, as it is pronounced, of malt. 



§. III. 



I have defcribed above, with all the accuracy I 

 could, the whole procefs and phenomena that oc- 

 curred in diftilling fpirits from potatoes, as I ob- 

 ferved them when the procefs was conducted under 

 my own eyes. This procefs I repeated twice^ about 

 E 3 Xh% 



