Distillation of Ardent Spirit. 271 
. liberty to escape. By the common construction 
of stills they are incessantly returned into the boiler, 
especially at the commencement of the process. 
The still recommended by Chaptal is well cal- 
culated for the distillation of ardent spirit. The 
bottom is concave, in order that the fire may be 
nearly at an equal distance from all the points of its 
surface; the sides are elevated perpendicularly, in 
such a manner, that the body exhibits the form of 
a portion of a cylinder; and this body is covered 
with a vast capital, surrounded by its refrigeratory. 
This capital has a groove or channel projecting two 
inches at its lower part within: the sides have an in- 
clination of sixty-five degrees. The beak of the 
capital is as high and as wide as the capital itself, 
and insensibly diminishes till it comes to the worm- 
pipe. The refrigeratory accompanies the beak or 
neck, and has a cock at its further end which suffers 
the water to run out, while it is replaced by other 
cold water, which incessantly flows in from above. 
When the water of the refrigeratory begins to be 
warm a cock is opened, that it may escape in pro- 
portion as it is more plentifully supplied from above. 
The distillation of the wash may be kept up un- 
til the quantity limited by act of parliament is ob- 
tained; or until the product is no longer inflam- 
mable. 
Various contrivances have been adopted by the 
