Miscellanies. 365 



for a series of years through the cask, above all, in hot climates. The 

 researches made by the author on this head are not yet complete ; but 

 he is inclined to infer, from the experiments already made, that, for 

 a moderate term of years, the proportion of alcohol increases in the 

 wine, but afterwards, on the contrary, diminishes ; and that the period 

 when the wine begins to lose in alcoholic strength is probably that at 

 which it ceases to improve in flavor. The increase which takes place 

 at first in the alcohol of wine undergoing evaporation through the 

 cask, appeared at first view parallel to the fact generally admitted on 

 the authority of Soemering, that spirit becomes stronger when con- 

 fined in bladder, or in a vessel covered with bladder, in consequence 

 of the water passing out by elective exosmose* 



The author, however, on repeating the experiments of Soemering, 

 as related by various writers (for he could not obtain access to the 

 original account of them,) w^as unable, by any variation of the pro- 

 cess he could devise, to obtain the results indicated by the German 

 anatomist. Constantly the spirit, whatsoever its strength, whether 

 proof spirit or rectified spirit, became weaker. It was observed at the 

 same time, that if the bladder containing spirit was enclosed in a confin- 

 ed space^with quicklime, the spirit slowly became absolute alcohol of 

 the density 796, in consequence of a permanent atmosphere of alco- 

 hol being speedily formed, while the watery atmosphere was absorbed 

 by the quicklime as fast as it was produced. Subsequently it w^as 

 proved that the bladder was not essential to the process ; for an open 

 cup of rectified spirit, enclosed in a confined space with quicklime, to 

 absorb the water which arose from the spirit, became in two months 

 absolute alcohol of the density 796. Professor Graham of London, 

 some time ago proved the analogous fact, that spirit might be thus 

 rendered pure alcohol in the air pump vacuum. A vacuum, however, 

 is, upon principle, as well as in fact, not necessary for the process ; 

 it merely accelerates it. The new method is obviously applicable on 

 the great scale for obtaining absolute alcohol, wherever time may be 



allowed. — Jameson'^s Journal^ April to Jul]/, 1839. 



37. Dr. Berendfs Investigations on Amher. — We learn with much 

 satisfaction, from a letter sent us very recently by Dr. Berendt of 

 Dantzig, that his Important work on the insects, &c. found imbedded 

 in amber, and which, though commenced in 1830, has been inter- 

 rupted in its publication, Is now to be carried on and completed with 

 as little delay as possible. The first part contains an analytical 

 or rather synthetical account of the amher tree, and of the flowers 

 and fruits of other vegetable productions which grew in the amber 

 Woods. Dr. Berendt has transmitted tons the fifteen lithographed 



