SULPHURIC ETHER. 



27 



contain all the elements for due fermentation. Thus the juice of the 

 grape undergoes spontaneous fermentation, yielding ivine ; the juice 

 of apples yields cider ; the infusion of barley m^lt liquor, &c. All 

 such liquors — the result of fermentation — are named fermented 

 liquors, and vary very much both as to flavour and also as to the 

 quantity of alcohol which they contain ; thus the stronger wines 

 contain about 20 per cent, of alcohol; the weaker wines about 10 or 12 

 per cent. ; the malt liquors, as porter, ale, and beer, about 4 per 

 cent. All the fermented liquors when submitted to distillation afford 

 much stronger products, called distilled liquors, ardent spirits, or 

 spirituous liquors. Brandy, gin, rum, &c., are examples. These 

 contain about 50 per cent, of alcohol. When the quantity is exactly 

 50 per cent., or one half, the liquor is termed proof-spirit. 



Any of the distilled liquors when submitted to distillation, will 

 yield the alcohol of the Pharmacopoeia, called also rectified spirits of 

 wine, — having a sp. gr. of -835. The alcohol thus procured con- 

 tains as much as 15 per cent, of water, from which it cannot be en- 

 tirely separated by any number of distillations. The absolute alcohol 

 of chemists is never used in medicine. 



The alcohol dilutum of the Pharmacopoeias consists of equal mea- 

 sures of officinal alcohol and water : it is used in making certain 

 tinctures ; its strength is about that of the distilled liquors. 



The various alcoholic liquors are used in medicine chiefly as 

 stimulants in low states of the system. The fermented liquors, as 

 wine, or the malt liquors, are usually preferred, unless a very decided 

 stimulus is required, in which case brandy is employed. 



Wine-u'hey is one of the best forms of administering wine ; it is 

 l^madeby adding half a pint of wine, (Madeira, Sherry, or Teneriffe,) 

 to a pint of boiling milk, separating the curd from the whey, and 

 diluting the latter, if necessary, with rennet whey, and properly fla- 

 vouring with sugar and spices. 



The 77ialt liquors may be employed as stimulants more freely 

 than wine ; they possess also tonic and nutritive properties : the best 

 are porter and ale ; beer is apt to prove acescent. 



Alcohol is frequently employed externally, particularly in the 

 form of ardent spirits, as a rubefacient : the effect is increased by 

 mixing with red pepper. 



An evidence of the favourable influence of alcohol in disease, is 

 when, under its use, the pulse becomes fuller, and at the same time 

 slower; the skin moist, with an abatement of delirium. 



SuLrHURic Ether. — (tEther Sulphuricus, U. S.) 



Chemically, the oxide of ethyl. Prepared by distilling together 

 2J}fes. alcohol and l^lbs. sulphuric acid. The ether, as first pro- 

 cured, is contaminated with sulphurous acid, oil of wine, and some 

 alcohol. It is purified from the acid by a redistillation with potassa ; 



