ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN THE UNITED STATES. 63 



mestic wines as above at 12 per cent, the alcohol of the two amounts 

 of wine would give 734.494 gals. Add to this the alcohol of the beer 

 produced and that imported at 5 per cent, (estimating the latter at 

 7.000 gals.) viz. 1.163.736 gals, and the total of alcohol is 21.319.848 

 gals. This, taking a third of the population as consumers, say 5.730.- 

 000, would be about 3|d. gals. each. But by estimates made by Dr. 

 Bell, the amount drank in 1830 must have been more than treble this, 

 and greatly exceeding the consumption in England or France. 



Beside these estimates, the amount of cider drank, with 7 per cent, 

 of alcohol, would probably increase the latter to four gallons of al- 

 cohol for each individual of the above proportion. But the remark- 

 able decrease in the consumption of intoxicating drinks since 1840 will 

 have reduced this amount of alcohol, at a fair estimate to 3| gals, as 

 the proportion of each person at the present time ; and since 1830, the 

 decrease has been, according to other estimates for that year, more 

 than three-fourths ! These facts are indeed encouraging to the friends 

 of temperance in this country. 



The whole amount of the above mentioned liquors, as per returns 

 for 1840, and other estimates as above for that year, is 71. 295.791 gals. 

 This allows near 13 gals, for each individual of the above proportion 

 of our population. The quantity of wine for each is 2.4-5th quarts. 



The number of breweries in the United States in 1840 was 406 ; and 

 of the 23.267.730 gals, brewed, 12.765.474 were in Penn. ; 6.059.122 

 in New-York. There were also 10.306 distilleries, and of the 41.402. 

 627 gals, of products, 11.973.815 were in New- York ; 6.329.467 in 

 Ohio; 6.240.193 in Penn. and 5.177.910 in Massachusetts. Capital 

 employed $9.147.386. 



It has been remarked that the prodigal supply of esculent vegeta- 

 ble food which abates the thirst excited by animal food and of the fine 

 fruits of America, of which all can partake, afford less excuse for us 

 than for others who seek to vary the pleasures of the palate by fer- 

 mented and distilled liquors. The exciting property of the air of our 

 climate, also, with the natural excitable temperament and incessant 

 activity of our people, afford less inducement for physical stimulants 

 than with most others. "The young and spirited horse and even the 

 well-broken courser require the rein and the bit more than the spur. 

 We, of all people on the face of the earth, want brief snatches of calm- 

 ness for meditation and revision, but no goading." 



Fermentation. This is the spontaneous change which vegetable 

 juices undergo under certain circumstances, terminating in the pro- 

 duction of alcohol by vinous, or vinegar by acetous fermentation. A 

 third species of fermentation is the putrefaction of animal substances. 

 An elevation of temperature is always necessary. This, in the vinous 

 process, with some juices, proceeds just above 32, but best between 

 50 and 70 ; if much higher the acetous fermentation may be excited. 



