444 Experiments to ascertain the State of 



wine were previously deprived of its acid, the suhsequent 

 separation of the alcohol, by means of potash, might be less 

 interfered with. I therefore added to eight fluid ounces of 

 Port wine a sufficient quantity of carbonate of lime to sa- 

 turate the acid, and separated the insoluble compounds pro- 

 duced, bv means of a filter. The addition of potash ren- 

 dered the filtered liquor turbid, some soluble salt of lime, 

 probably the malate, having passed through the paper; but 

 the separation of alcohol was as indistinct as in the experi- 

 ments just related. 



It is commonly stated, that the addition of lime water to 

 wine, not only forms insoluble compounds with the acids, 

 but also with the colouring matter, and that these ingre- 

 dients may be thus separated without heat ; but on repeating 

 these experiments, thev did not succeed, nor could 1 devise 

 any mode of perfectly separating the acids, and the extrac- 

 tive and colouring matter (excepting by distillation), which 

 did not interfere with the alcphol. 



If the spirit aflbrded by the distillation of wine were a 

 product and not an educt, I conceived that by performing 

 the distillation at difl'erent temperatures, difllerent propor- 

 tions of spirit should be obtained. 



The following are the experiments made to ascertain this 

 point. 



Four ounces of dried muriate of lime were dissolved in 

 eiffht fluid ounces of the Port wine employed in the former 

 experiiTicnts: by- this addition, the boilino- point of the 

 wine, which was 190^ Fahrenheit, was raised to 200°. The 

 solution was put into a retf)rt placed in a sand heat, and was 

 kept boiling until four fluid ounces had passed over into 

 the receiver, the specific gravity of which was 0- 963 16 at 

 60° Fahrenheit*. 



The experiment was repeated with eight fluid ounces of 

 the wine without any addition, and the same quantity was 

 distilled over, as in the hist experiment: its specific gra- 

 vity at 60^ Fahrenheit was 0-9631 I. 



Eight fluid ounces of the wine were distilled m a water 

 bath ; when four fluid ounces had passed over, the heat 

 was withdrawn. The specific gravity of the liquor in the 

 receiver was 0*96320 at 60' i'ahrenheit. 



The same quantity of the wine as in the last experiment 

 was distilled at i temperature not exceeding 1 80" Fahrenheit. 



• It was supposed t';iat in this experiment a small portion of muriate of 

 linie might have pasicd over into the receiver ; hut the distilled liquor did 

 not afford the slightett traces of it, to the tests of oxalate of ammonia and 

 ii;tr.:t;e of silver. 



This 



