170 On the differeiit Qualities of IV ines. 



is the action of the fish glue, the ox blood, and the white 

 ot" eag to be explained ? So little attention has hitherto 

 been paid to what takes place in this case, that I know of 

 no theory formed upon ihe subject. It appears to me very 

 easy to invent a very plausible one, by attenduig to the facts 

 I am about to state. 



1. Fish glue is a gelatinous matter; the white of egg 

 and the ox-blood are of an albuminous nature. 



2. Both of these animal coujpounds are very soluble in 

 water, and not at all soluble in alcohol. 



3. Alcohol exists already formed in wine, since it is easy 

 to separate it by congelation. 



These being inconstestibic facts, what must happen when 

 these gelatinous fluids are poured into the wine ? The al- 

 cohol of the wine, by its great affinity to water, will attract 

 this fluid, holding the animal matter in solution, conse- 

 quently this matter, thus deprived of its solvent, must give 

 way to the molecular attraction, which tends to bring its 

 particles together, whence results a kind of net-work swim- 

 ming in the liquor; this net-work, contracting more closely* 

 entangles in itself the foreign substances in the wine, and 

 carries them down to the bottom of the cask, leaving the 

 mass of liquor clear, pure, and transparent. 



Tht last method of preserving and ameliorating wines 

 consists in the art of mixing them together, so as to render 

 them less alterable, and to impart to them the most agree- 

 able flavour. This art, although perfectly well known to 

 the manager of a cellar, is not yet known by the chemist, 

 and will never be know n by him, unless the wine merchant 

 will inform him what mixtures succeed the best. The ex- 

 perience of this latter would, however, be rendered more 

 advantageous if assisted by the reasonings of the former. 

 A wine mixed with some other wine, can acquire more 

 strength, more colour, more aroma, or more flavour, only 

 bv its principles undergoing some reaction, more or less 

 sensible; and who, except the chemist, can best dispose 

 the circumstances most favourable to this re-action? If, 

 fbr example, it is required to correct a very acid wine ; the 

 chemist finding in this wine a areat deal of tartar, will pro- 

 pose the addition of sugar, because this substance, by in- 

 creasing the proportion of alcohol, will precipitate the tar- 

 tar, and by this means he will avoid having recourse to the 

 sweet and syrupy for that purpose, which are not to be 

 found in all countries, and whose price is always every 

 where so very high. 



3. Of 



