\\ INK, MKDICAL USES OF. 



WINE AND SPIRIT TRAM: 





The Ulte of English wine-drinker* tuu been unquestionably vitiated 

 by the long UM of highly '"i indu-.! Spanish and Portuguese wine*; the 

 taste for light (ivrman and French wines, even if the price were low, U 

 by no mean* extensive in England ; and as the new vintages above- 

 named would bear more resemblance to those of France and Germany 

 than to those of Spain and Portugal, they will have Home difficulties to 

 c-uiiUnd against. Nevertheless, it ig highly desirable tbat the new 

 attempt* should have a fair trial. When Prufnwor Wilson reported on 

 the New York Exhibition of 1853, he stated that vineyards are rapidly 

 extending in that country, principally in Ohio ; twelve kinds of grapes 

 are cultivated for the purpose ; and the matter U an interesting one to 

 English colonists, seeing that the climate of Ohio is very much like 

 tbat of many of our colonies. 



Of the South African wine which ia now coming over to this country, 

 it is to be regretted that the importers give it such names as " South 

 African Port," " South African Sherry," 4c. If it be a pure and plea- 

 Kant wine, it should depend on its own reputation, and not on the 

 attempts to imitate what are really mixtures of wine, brandy, .iml 

 adulterant*. 



In IbiG. the Society of Arts awarded a silver medal to the grower of 

 four kinds of wine from Australia, three white and one red. Two of 

 the white kinds were satisfactory ; one much resembled Cape wine, 

 while the other was a dry and clean wine, with considerable body. 

 The red wine was light, clear-tasted, and exactly like Bordeaux. These 

 wines were made by Mr. Marking, in 1853 and 1854, at Irrawory, in 

 the Hunter district of New South Wales. He found that the grapes 

 suitable in Europe would be no criterion for those best fitted for the 

 climate of New South Wales. The colony contains a large area of good 

 vine land, some of which has been made to yield luOO gallons per acre. 

 It is believed tbat the freight would not necessarily be large, for the 

 wine would form good ballast for wool slaps to England. All the 

 operations for making Australian wine are fully described in the Society 

 of Arts' Journal for 1856. Professor Owen, as one of the jurors of the 

 Paris Exhibition of 1855, said, " In the department for Australia wore 

 evidences of the increasing importations from the vineyards of New 

 South Wales. The specimens of wine exhibited by Messrs. Macarthur. 

 King, and Brown, are deserving of special notice. The wines included 

 white wines akin to those of the Rhine ; red light wines like those of 

 Bordeaux ; Mousseux varieties with a bouquet, body, and flavour equal 

 to the finest Champagne ; Muscats and other sweet wines rivalling the 

 Montignac of the Cape. Some of these wines were of the vintage of 

 1839, bottled in 1842; others had made the voyage round the world 

 in wood. The verdict of the experts (judges) was much in their favour; 

 for, whereas, on the wines of Europe the numbers indicative of quality 

 ranged from as low as 2 to 18, the lowest number assigned to the 

 Australian specimens was 7, the highest 14, and the average number 

 104, being as high ax that of the wines of Austria, and much exceeding 

 that of the wines of the Cape, or any other wine-producing colony." It 

 has been since stated, however, that the Australians themselves care 

 little for their own wine ; those who can afford to drink wine at all. buy 

 the port and sherry, the claret and champagne, of Europe. There is 

 doubtless much of habit and conventionalism in this ; nevertheless the 

 exertions of the planters are worthy of all commendation. 



Of wines, real or sophisticated, other than the juice of the grape, we 

 speak in Wraits, BRITISH. Of the extent and peculiarities of the trade, 

 details will be found under \\'IM; AND SI-IRIX TKADK. 



WINE, MEDICAL USES OF. These are distinct from the common 

 or dietetical employment of wine. For very young children, wine may 

 l pronounced to be at once needless and hurtful, as was proved by 

 the experience of Dr. Hunter on his own children. The immense 

 number of the children of the lower orders who fall early victims to 

 Kin prove it on a large scale. But in the case of great constitutional 

 debility, or in states of exhaustion from depressing diseases such as 

 diphtheria, scarlatina, or gastric fever, small quantities of good wine 

 cautiously administered, are invaluable tonics. The best mode of 

 administering them is, not to give them undiluted, or even simply with 

 water, hot or cold, but with a very small quantity of hot water having 

 mixed with it so much biscuit or r.uk as shall form with the wine a 

 Met pulp, requiring to be eaten rather tlian drunk. This prevents the 

 cuU of the stomach being so much irritated, and the wine does not 

 NO speedily reach the brain to over-excite it. At a more advanced 

 |H-iiud of life, if rapid growth should occur, wine in moderation is 

 beneficial. But much caution is requisite, lest habits should be formed, 

 difficult, if not impossible to break. Zealous students ore sometimes 

 tempted to prop up exhausted nature by wine ; but the benefit is only 

 temporary, while the injury is often permanent. Tea or coffee, or 

 coca. [Erytkraxylon Coca .- See STIMULANTS] are preferable. 



As life advances, and the circulation becomes languid, wine in 

 moderation, at fit times, U commendable. It has been designated 

 " the milk of old age," and may tend to prolong life but in excess 

 cannot fail to shorten it 



The selection of the kind of wine must be left to the individual, or 

 to the judgment of bis medical attendant. Every one should aim at 

 obtaining > ood wine, and avoid mixing wincx. Where gouty persons 

 u*e wines, it should be Rhenish, Moselle, or Bordeaux (Claret), and 

 these should be strictly adhered to. 



In the treatment of fever, common or typhoid, there generally 

 occurs a sUge when stimulants are requisite. Of these, wine in most 



frequently employed. But as the type of fever so frequently Tories, no 

 rules can be laid i|...\n. Nothing ahowg the discriminating power 

 of the physician more than his ability to decide when it is to be used, 

 and how much is to be administered. States of great prostration need 

 inii.-h. Port wine, Madeira, and Champagne ore mostly prei 

 But if erysipelas or affections of the liver occur. Moselle with SelUer 

 water is best. Tympanites U often dissipated by wine, given eith' r l < v 

 the mouth, or as an enema, ( Abercrouibic on the ' Disease* 

 Stomach.') The same author give* cases whore delicate ( 

 unaccustomed to the doily use of wine, bad been saved by the liberal 

 use of wine, in coses of much exhaustion. But these are very ex 

 cases. Wine, especially port wine, given with very warm water, to 

 persons much exhausted with over walking, or during convalescence 

 from fevers or other weakening diseases, before out-of-door exercise 

 can be taken, often insures sound -freshing sleep if administered 

 about the usual time of going to bed. A rusk or biscuit steeped in it 

 converts it into a digestible supper for such persona. 



WINE AND SPIRIT TRADE. It will be convenient to tr. , 

 subject under two sub-headings. 



Wine Trade. The wine trade of England has been governed fi a 

 century and a half almost wholly by a particular treaty with Portugal, 

 called the Methuen Treaty; chiefly by creating an artificial taste for 

 that particular wine which happened to be most easily procured. 

 During many centuries, almost the only foreign wines consumed in 

 England were French. In 1693, a change began, by favouring Portu- 

 gal wines with a lower import duty ; the favour was increased in 1097; 

 and in 1703, Mr. Methuen negotiated a treaty, whereby Hi 

 engaged to admit port wine at a duty of one-third less than that on 

 French wine ; on condition that Portuj.-. < English manui.ie- 



tured goods on favourable terms. The English wine-drinkers, in fact, 

 were sacrificed to the English manufacturers ; and the effect 

 been apparent from that day to this. During the greater part of the 

 lost century, England took twenty times as much Portug' 

 French wine, until the taste for the latter became almost extingu 

 except among the wealthy classes. The wine-growers on the Douro 

 and the great merchants at Oporto, finding they had nearly a unmo|H>ly, 

 worked it in the usual way to their own profit. An Oporto Wine 

 Company, established in 1754, purposely diminished the extent of the 

 vineyards, with a view of keeping the price wholly under their own 

 command; and this policy was successful until quite recent tinif.-. 

 Almost every gallon of port wine was sent to England ; other countrie.- 

 either did not like it, or would not pay the price demanded for it. 

 The natural flavour and quality of the wines of the Upper Douro are 

 almost unknown in England, and probably would not be relished ; tiny 

 are strongly flavoured for the English market, and require to be kept 

 many years iu the wood and in bottle, before they acquire the qualities 

 familiar to English port drinkers. 



In 18 1 9 a reduction was mode in the duty on French wim - ; and in 

 1831 the duty on all foreign wines was equalised after 128 years of 

 favouritism to Portugal. The consumption of port did not, however, 

 yield to this change ; because the English had become accustomed t - t hi 

 taste of that wine, and had not yet learned to appreciate the light winc.s 

 of France. So signally was this the case, that in 1842, eleven years after 

 the equalising of the duty, the English consumption of French wines 

 barely amounted to one gallon for every sixty persons : the total con- 

 sumption of all wines was about a quarter of a gallon per head, whereas, 

 so far back as the year 1700, it was a gallon a head. It is well known 

 that wholesome wine, of fair quality, can be exported from FI.I 

 sixpence per bottle ; and it still remains to be seen to what degree 

 England will be able to avail herself of this advantage. It was stated 

 before the Committee on the Wine Duties in 1852, by Mr. Forrester, 

 an extensive wine-grower in Portugal, that no port is brought to Eng- 

 land with less brandy in it than three gallons to a pipe of 115 gallons; 

 j and that the ratio varies from this minimum up to a maximum of 1 7 

 i gallons. Unfortunately, too, many other substances besides brandy 

 are added in all except the best kinds of port. 



From 1697 to 1785, the quantity of foreign wine imported annually 

 never varied far from 2,OnO,uOl) to 3,000,uOO gallons ; from 1 , 

 1851 it varied from 4,000,000 to Il,n00,0ii0. The Portuguese wim 

 (port) maintained an accendancy over Spanish (sherry) till about 

 1830 ; since which year the balance has been rather the other way. 

 The difference in the above-named quantities was in the nn/iorls ; the 

 home comumptiu, from 1830 to 1 860, remained remarkably constant, 

 never deviating far from an average of 7,00,000 gallons The duty 

 remained steady during that period (about 5. 6rf. per gallon, or Ha. 

 per bottle), and the consumption barely increased as rapidly as the 

 population. 



At present, port is gradually giving place to sherry. The entries for 

 home consumption of all kinds of foreign wine, iu 1860, v, < 

 follow : 



J-'rom Hpaln 2,075,769 gallons. 



Poitugal 1,776,138 



France 1,125,599 



South Africa . . . 426,558 



Dutch poMOMlons . . . 222,729 

 Italy and Naples . . . . 205,<iH4 

 All other countries . . . 626,321 



7,358,192 



