ALCOHOLIC. BEVERAGES AND STIMULANTS 159 
volatile oils, or ethers upon which depends chiefly the value of 
the wine, and probably also to a considerable extent the di- 
verse effects upon the human system of different wines of 
similar alcoholic strength. ‘The proportion of alcohol in wines 
is about 10-25%. Strong wines have alcohol added after fer- 
mentation. Champagne is a wine containing a large amount 
of carbon dioxid gas. 
- _ Distilled alcoholic beverages include spirituous liquors, such 
as brandy, rum, whisky, and gin; and liqueurs such as ab- 
sinthe. Spirituous liquors contain about 40-60% of alcohol. 
Brandy is made by distilling wine. Rum is distilled from 
molasses. Whisky and gin are both distilled from a sort 
of beer made from grain, generally maize, rye, or wheat. Gin 
differs from whisky in being flavored with the volatile oil 
of juniper berries (Fig. 154) and other aromatics. These 
flavoring matters act powerfully upon the system, and make 
gin an especially dangerous liquor. 
Liqueurs are sweetened spirituous liquors containing pe- 
culiar flavoring matters, usually volatile oils. In the case of 
absinthe the flavor is due chiefly to the volatile oil of worm- 
wood (Fig. 155). This is a very powerful drug, which, in 
comparatively small amount, produces violent convulsions. 
Absinthe acts similarly and is justly regarded as the most 
pernicious of all alcoholic beverages. 
All food-adjuncts, as we have seen, are taken with food 
primarily for their stimulating effect on the system. This 
effect is shown by more copious flow of the digestive Juices, 
and by generally increased activity of the digestive organs. 
The very savor of food as we say ‘‘makes the mouth water.” 
This is not because stimulating substances bring any con- 
siderable amount of energy into the body, but because they 
set free energy which the body has derived from nutritive 
substances and stored ready for use. Yet, since energy must 
be expended in digestion, a certain degree of stimulation may 
be helpful or even necessary. On the other hand, since the 
release of too much energy works harm, overstimulation is 
sure to prove injurious; and the danger of overstimulating 
is the greater from the fact that stimulation is pleasurable 
even when carried beyond the point of safety. This point 
