564 JAMAICA. 



The other part riles uncombined, but unites by Jlow degrees 

 afterwards. A proportion of volatile oil is likewife produced in the 

 procefs of diftillation, by the adlion of the fire upon that faccharine 

 matter in the diftilling liquor, which has continued unchanged by 

 fermentation, and adheres to the ftill, /« form of what is generally 

 called dunder. 



10. The volatile oil, which comes over uncombined, imparts to 

 fre(h diftilled rum that ranknefs of fmell and tafte, which are al- 

 moft always found in it. And the aftringent quality of the pure 

 fpirir, as yet not united in due proportion with this oil, caufes that 

 fiery pungency, which it remarkably poffeffes at that time. 



11. But the union being afterwards perfedted and matured, by 

 due age, the rank tafte, fmell, and acrid pungency, are then con- 

 verted into fuch as arc grateful. The aftringent and coagulating 

 powers of the fpirit, of courfe, are materially corredled, infomuch 

 that they ceafe to be detrimental to thofe perfons who drink it in 

 fit moderation. 



12. This dulcification is verified by an eafy experiment. A piece 

 of raw flefti being fteeped in brandy, another in rum, it is found, 

 that the plumpnefs and foftnefs of the flefli is much longer retained 

 under the adion of rum, than under that of brandy. Although 

 brandy will harden it ftill lefs than rectified fpirit of wine, or 

 alcohol. 



13. Brandy is united with fome portion of acid, but no volatile 

 oil. It comes therefore nearer to pure ardent fpirit, has not its 

 noxious qualities correiied, and confequcntly is \i:ry inferior to 

 rum in lalubrity. 



14. There are inftances where the frefh diftilled rum has all the 

 fenfible good qualities that, in genera!,, are only to be gained by the 

 improvement of time and long keeping. This peculiarity has its 

 caufe in the volatile oil bein? of fuch a nature, that the whole of it 

 unites immediately with the fpirit in the procefies of fermentation 

 and diftillation, and thus renders the rum perfect at ti:e firft. 



§ This muft be underftood only in a certain degree. For the beft: 

 fpirit that can be made, when iirft drawn, is not without that fiery, 

 pungent, acrid tafte before defcribed, though it becomes divefted of 

 it in a much ftiorter time. 



15. This 



