flt 



No. 99 & 100. ,VITIS. 155 



_*- 



used. The Iron Mine was known to the ancients ; it 

 was Tnade by putting rusty nails into it, or quenching in 

 it nails made red hot : it isapowerfuHonic and restora- 

 tive. The Emetic wine is now made with tartar emetic 

 dissolved into wine : it is one of the most certain and 

 less disagreeable emetics- Every febrifuge medicament 

 ought to be given in mild wine, as it increases the effect* 



Vinegar is the result of acetic fermentation ; the best 

 is made with sour vvine, both red and white. Any bad 

 wine unfit to drink becomes vinegar by itself after a 

 while. When wanted quick, it must be put into a bar- 

 rel washed with boiling water. Vinegar is used as a con- 

 diment in sallads and many dishegr : to make pickles, 

 sauces, syrup, distilled vinegar, acetic acid, medicated 

 vinegars, perfumed vinegars^ &c. It is highly medical, 

 antiseptic, refrigerant, analeptic, &c. The external use 

 of it is very useful in fevers, liead aches, syncope, as- 

 phyxia, hysteric and nervous aflfectioiis. From it are 

 nsade the vinegar of squills, colchicum, opiurn, camphor, 

 &c. Vinegar can be discolored and made as clear as 

 water, by filtration over animal charcoal or burnt bones: 

 and it is then a good vehicle for perfumes, scented wa- 

 ters and washes used by hidies. The ancient Romans 

 drank vinegar and water. A kind of lemonade may be 

 made with it and sugar- The syrup of vinegar is very 

 refreshing in summer. Pickles are on!y good when the 

 substances pickled are healthy, thus boiled beets, car- 

 rots, onions, tomatos, &.c. make g^ood pickles^ while pick- 

 led cucumbers, walnuts, cayenne pepper, &c- are very 

 bad and unhealthv. 



Braudv ir^ distiiied wine, consisting of alcohol, water, 

 and the peculiar f»il of wine. It contains over one half 

 of afcoiiul. Wines produce more or less brandy, accord- 

 ing to their sfrengdi, many weak French wines produce 

 only one-tilth. The quality of the brandy depends on 

 the wine, and the mode of distilling it. W hen new it is 

 as clear as water, but gets a coSuring in the on^- casks : 

 it in also colored by burnt s^.^^.r, and thus is always im- 

 pure. By a,^e it loses its iiry taste, and becomes mel- 

 low or ».iilder. It is alway-s unheaUhy, even <lvank mo- 

 derate! v and with water, but perhaps less so than mm 

 and whiskey* It speedily produceii the w^orst itind of 



