MALT. 445 
wholesome beverage. In the first recorded American poem, 
written during 1630, when civilization there was as yet primitive, 
and “the place where we lived was a wilderness wood,” it 
was told :— 
“Tf barley be wanting to make into malt, 
We must fain be contented, and think it no fault, 
For we can make liquor to sweeten our lips 
Of pumpkins, and parsnips, and walnut-tree chips.” 
Vinegar (vin-aigre), sour wine, is commonly procured from an 
infusion of Malt which has previously undergone the vinous 
fermentation, or perhaps from apple cider. White vinegar is 
the best sort, then Malt vinegar, and least acceptable, though 
chemically pure, is the diluted acetic acid got from the products 
of the dry distillation of wood. More properly, Vinegar ought to 
be obtained by the acetic fermentation of wine, but this is difficult 
to procure. “‘ Ordinary English vinegar,” says Dr. A. Blyth, 
speaking authoritatively, “‘ as far as the kitchen is concerned, is 
a chemical monstrosity.”” We should try to buy French vinegar 
from a respectable Italian warehouseman. Herbal vinegar must 
not be boiled. The acid of vinegar, being a fermentation acid, 
renders the digestion of many foods with which it is taken more 
difficult, whilst vegetable acids, such as lemon juice, and citric 
acid, or tartaric acid, do not cause that objectionable effect. 
Thus a cucumber salad (to be made with the vegetable freshly cut) 
when dressed with vinegar is so difficult of digestion as to be for 
some persons almost poisonous; whilst if dressed with lemon 
juice, it can be easily and comfortably digested by the very same 
persons. Vinegar is the antiseptic ingredient in pickles; when 
applied externally its cooling effects, and fragrant aroma are 
refreshing ; they even serve to revive a person faint from heat, 
or other aggressive surroundings. Thus it is told in Pickwick, 
that at Manor Farm, Dingley Dell, “the landlady proceeded to 
vinegar the forehead, beat the hands, titillate the nose, and 
unlace the stays of the maiden aunt.” : 
The hindering effect of Vinegar on our salivary digestion of 
starches is very powerful, and the bearing of this fact on our 
using it in salads together with the vegetable carbohydrates is 
evident. Nevertheless, salads are commonly seasoned with 
Vinegar in plenty, and they are generally eaten together with a 
free use of bread. The acid may perhaps aid the digestion of 
the vegetable albumin in the salad, but it is obvious that at the 
