44 APPLIED PHYSIOLOGY 



55. Wines. The second class of alcoholic liquors is 

 wine. The juice is squeezed from grapes, blackberries, or 

 some other fruit rich in sugar. Germs of alcoholic fer- 

 mentation from their skins and the air set up fermentation 

 in the juice and produce wine. Certain localities and cellars 

 contain special kinds of germs which produce a peculiar 

 flavor in the wine fermenting in that locality. In this way 

 different kinds of wine are produced. Wine contains from 

 five to fourteen per cent of alcohol. Fourteen per cent of 

 alcohol in the juice kills the germs and stops the fermenta- 

 tion. So wine cannot contain more than that amount of 

 alcohol unless more is added. 



56. Distilled liquors or spirits. The third class of 

 alcoholic drinks is spirits, or distilled liquors. Alcohol 

 boils at a temperature of 170 F., while water boils at 

 212 F. Thus when a wine, or beer, or any other alco- 

 holic solution is heated its alcohol will be changed to 

 steam very rapidly, while the water will evaporate slowly. 

 Therefore the steam will contain a larger proportion of 

 alcohol than the original liquor. This fact is put to use in 

 separating alcohol from the solution in which it was pro- 

 duced. The steam is conducted through a coil of pipe 

 kept cool by running water. Its temperature is lowered 

 and it is changed back to a liquid form. This new liquid 

 is whisky, or brandy, or other spirituous liquor, according 

 to the substance used in its manufacture. The process 

 of its manufacture is called distillation. Spirituous liquors 

 are about one half alcohol. 



57. Description of alcohol. If the process of distillation 

 is repeated the alcohol which passes over is still freer from 

 water, until after three or four distillations it is almost 

 pure. It is then a clear, colorless liquid like water. It has 

 a sharp, sweetish taste and a peculiar odor. It causes a 



