spirit in fermented Liquors. 44s 



-of the ingredients of the wine, formed a gelatinous com- 

 pound, and thus prevented tlie appearance of the alcohol. 



It has been remarked by Fabroni, in the memoir above 

 quoted, that one hundredth part of alcohol purposely added 

 to wine may be separated by siibcarbonatc of potash, but 

 several repetitions of the experiment have not enabled me to 

 verify this result: when however a considerable addition of 

 alcohol has been made to the wine, a part of it may be 

 again obtained by saturation with the subcarbonate. The 

 necessary addition of spirit to Port wine, for this purpose, 

 will be seen by the following experiments. 



Four ounces of dry and warm subcarbonate of potash 

 were added to eight fluid ounces of Port wine, which was 

 previously ascertained to afford by distillization 20 percent, 

 of alcohol (by measure), of the specific gravity of 0*825 at 



In twenty-four hours the mixture had separated into two 

 distinct portions; at the botton) of the vessel was a strong 

 fcolution of the subcarbonate, upon which floated a gela- 

 tinous substance, of such consistency as to prevenT the 

 escape of the liquor beneath \\ hen the vessel was inverted, 

 and which appeared to contain the alcohol of the wine, 

 with the principal part of the extract, tan, and colouring 

 matter, some of the subcarbonate, and a' portion of water: 

 hut as these experiments relate chiefly to the spirit con- 

 tained in wine, the other ingredients were not minutely ex- 

 amined. 



To seven fluid ounces of the saiTie wine I added one fluid 

 ounce of alcohol (specific sravitv 0825), and the sai^ie 

 quantity of the subcarl)onaie of potash as in the last ex- 

 periment : but after twenty-four hours had elapsed, no di- 

 slinf't separation of alcohol had taken place. 



When two fluid ounces of alcohol were added to six fluid 

 ounces of the wine, and the mixture allowed to remain un- 

 disturbed for the same length of tune as in the former ex- 

 periitients, a stratum of impure alcohol, of about a quarter 

 of an inch in thickness, separr.letl on ilic surface. 



The addition of three fluid ounces of the alcohol to five 

 fluid ounces of the wine, formed a mixture from wiiicli a 

 quantity of spirit readily separated on the surface, when the 

 subcarbonate was added, and ihe gelatinous compound sunk 

 nearly to the bottom of the vessel, thtie being below it a 

 strong solution of the subcarbonate, 



Wlien in these experiments iVladeira and Sherry were cm- 

 ployed instead of Port wine, the results were nearly similar. 



It was suggested to me by Dr. Wollaslon, that if the 



wine 



