355 



which then becomes odorless or neutral ; cognac oil, mixed with 

 neutral spirit, instantl}' produces factitious brandy ; sugar and 

 coloring matter being adjuncts. Such a base mixture is largely 

 made in this country ; and as it has no principle capable of ma- 

 turing, it should take a place below the raw spirits. 



Falsified wines are made here from mixtures of spirit, water, 

 sugar, and low-priced wines, as imitations of wines of well-known 

 names. Sparkling wines are made on a large scale, from fruit 

 wines, or sweet wines, with sugar and carbonic acid mechanically 

 introduced, and such wines are probably often imported. Sherry 

 and Madeira, as imported, have spirits mixed with the wine, and 

 ohen forty per cent, of proof spirit is contained in them. 



Both ale and beer are sold which have been mixed with low- 

 priced spirits, to increase their intoxicating effects. But the 

 most demoralizing intoxicating beverages are the new, or raw 

 spirits, so common. In many of these the fusel oils exist to the 

 point of saturation. These oils have specific actions on the sys- 

 tem, and the etiiers are not present. 



In reply to a question from Dr. Abbot, Dr. Hayes stated that 

 he considered the fusel oils as poisons, small portions of their 

 vapors causing irritation. 



Dr. Bacon observed, that, according to Schauenstein of Vienna, 

 a considerable proportion of chloroform is invariably found in 

 Amylene, the new antEsthetic agent, when prepared (as usual) 

 by distilling fusel oil with a solution of chloride of zinc. 



Dr. A. A. Hayes made a communication, reporting 

 progress in experiments, elucidating points in connection 

 with the composition of the various phosphates of lime, 

 proceeding from changes during decay. 



He had stated in earlier papers that the so-called bone phos- 

 phate of lime, of bones forming the earthy part of the " phos- 

 phatic guanos," or the guanos of the rainy latitudes, in presence 

 of decaying organic matter, had lost one, two, or more equiva- 

 lents of the lime base ; leaving a monobasic or bi-basic phos- 

 phate. In the subsequent actions, this lime disappeared by 

 solution, while the apparently moi'e soluble phosphate re- 

 mained. 



