i ea allen 
Researches on Wines and other Fermented Liquors. 51 
It follows, from these remarks, that alcohol is generated during 
the process of fermentation, and that its amount depends upon the 
proportion of saccharine matter in the grapes, and that, when all the 
ingredients are in due proportion, the most sound and spirituous 
wines are obtained. That, when this is the case, the wine may be 
preserved for any length of time, without the addition of spirit in 
any form. And that when this. addition is made, it is only for the 
purpose of supplying deficiencies in the must, or in other words, to 
bring the wine to that degree of strength, which it would naturally 
have attained, if all the ingredients of the must, had been in such 
proportion as to effect a perfect attenuation. 
‘Wines of Palestine.—In the discussions which have recently ta- 
ken place concerning the chemical nature and effects of wines, 
some opinions have been advanced, concerning the wines of Pales- 
tine, which deserve a little consideration. It has been supposed, 
that the wine spoken of in various parts of sacred history, was far 
less spirituous than that of modern times; and some have even 
gone so far as to assert, that a// modern wines are brandied, and 
that, to this circumstance, is to be ascribed the large proportion of 
alcohol, which they are found to contain. Upon consulting the ori- 
ginal papers of Mr. Brande, however, it will be found, that that 
acute chemist was not ignorant of the fact, that many wines are arti- 
ficially brandied ; and as the very object of his researches, was to 
prove the existence of ready formed alcohol in natural wines, he 
would, of course, be careful to select those which were free from 
admixture. Indeed, he expressly states, that he used this necessa- 
ry precaution ; and moreover, Gay Lussac, though in the very coun- 
try where many of the wines analyzed by Mr. Brande were produ- 
ced, confirms and quotes his results, without expressing the least 
doubt of their accuracy from this cause. 
It is, therefore, probable that in most of the wines which were exam- 
ined by Mr. Brande and by myself, the whole amount of alcohol was 
due to the fermentation of the must. The differences in this amount, 
depended upon the kind of grape and upon the influence of climate, 
soil and culture. These facts being assumed, we shall have some 
guide in our subsequent enquiries. 
The wines of Palestine, are generally represented by modern trav- 
ellers, as being of excellent quality. The sweet wines are, particu- 
larly esteemed in the east, because they are grateful to the taste, 
very exhilarating, and will keep some of them fora long time. They 
