VINEGAR. 



VINEGAR. 



appearance, called Fox grapes from Pennsyl- 

 vania to Florida. The Bullet or Bull grape is 

 described by Bartram as having "a stiff, lig- 

 neous, smooth stem, of pale ash colour, and 

 mounts to a great height by climbing up trees. 

 The leaves are cordated and serrated, thin, and 

 both surfaces naked or smooth. The racemes 

 or fruit bunches short, containing 15 or 20 

 grapes at a medium. The berries or acini are 

 large, near the size of a rifle-ball; of a black 

 colour when ripe ; having a bluish nebule 

 over them, which being rubbed ofi", they appear 

 of a deep blood colour. In figure they approach 

 to an ellipsis or prolate spheroid; however, at 

 a little distance they appear black and round. 

 This species is deservedly esteemed the best 

 native grape in America, and would make a 

 rich and delicious wine. The juice is sweet, 

 rich, and lively, and there is but little of the 

 tough, jelly-like substance enclosing the seed. 

 The skin of the grape is rather thick, yet there 

 is a sweet, melting pulp within, which mixes 

 with the saccharine juice when eaten. This 

 undoubtedly is the first American grape which 

 merits attention and cultivation for wine. It 

 thrives in every soil and situation, from the 

 sea-coast to the mountains ; it even thrives and 

 is fruitful when growing in the barren sand- 

 hills of Carolina and Florida." 



After describing these distinct varieties of 

 grapes found in the United States, Mr. Bartram 

 mentions several others which he considers de- 

 rived from a commixture of those described, 

 as Alexander's or Tasker's grape; Eland's grape ; 

 Raccoon grape. Other varieties, possessing still 

 superior properties, have since been added, 

 such as the Isabella, Poivcll, Cataicba, Scupper- 

 non, <fec., already mentioned. 



VINEGAR is the acetous and acetic acids 

 of the chemist, containing a variety of foreign 

 admixtures, some colouring matter, and an 

 ethereal substance or spirit, which gives it a 

 grateful aroma. Vinegar has been known from 

 a very early age. It was by far the earliest 

 known acid of commerce. That it was drunk 

 in remote periods, diluted with water, by the 

 labourers and soldiers, is very certain. It is 

 repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament. 

 But then they had several descriptions, one of 

 which, a kind of small wine, which they called 

 pesca or sera, is supposed to be that offered to 

 Ruth (Rulh, ii. 14), and to our Saviour by the 

 Roman soldiers (Matt, xxvii. 48). The stronger 

 variety, of vinegar is alluded to in another 

 place (Proi?. x. 26). They mixed it also with 

 nitre, or, properly speaking, natron, which 

 was an alkali that, by neutralizing, destroyed 

 its sharpness. " As vinegar upon nitre, so is 

 he that singeth songs to a heavy heart." 

 (Prov. xxv. 20.) They made it in those days 

 from wine. (Numb. vi. 3.) It is known to 

 every one, that when wine or beer is exposed 

 to the influence of the atmosphere, it becomes 

 sour or acid ; now this acid is the acetic. In 

 the wine countries it is chiefly made from the 

 produce of the vine, weak or low wines; the 

 shoots of the vine, &c., being also employed 

 for that purpose. It may be readily made from 

 merely sugar and water. That of commerce 

 in England is usually made from wort from 

 malt liquor or cider. Vinegar is of a yellow- 



sh or reddish colour, an acid taste, and plea- 

 sant odour. Its specific gravity is commonly 

 between 1-0135 and 1-0251. It usually holds 

 in solution various foreign substances, such as 

 colouring matters, sulphate of lime, mucilage, 

 sulphuric acid, and the ethereal spirit already 

 mentioned. Vinegars differ greatly in strength 

 and in purity. The best known in England 

 for domestic purposes is the French white 

 wine vinegar; but the Vinaigre d'Orleans, made 

 from the red wine of the Orleanois, is that most 

 esteemed in France ; and that imported ffrtn 

 Bourdeaux, although named Champagne vine- 

 gar, is oftenjnade from red wine/ The density 

 of French vinegars varies from 10-14 to 10-22. 

 The free sulphuric acid in British vinegar is 

 permitted by the English excise laws to the 

 amount of one part in one thousand, but it is 

 often added to four times that amount. 



Vinegar is readily purified from its impuri- 

 ties by distillation, and in this form is the trans- 

 parent distilled vinegar of commerce. But even 

 then it is united with a considerable portion of. 

 water. 



The specific gravity determines this point. 

 Thus, at 10-14 it contains 10 per cent, of real 

 acetic acid, at 10-22 15 per cent., at 10-25 18 

 per cent., at 10-35 26 per cent., at 10-60 50 per 

 cent., and so on, until it reaches 10-635, which 

 is the strongest liquid acetic acid. 



When deprived of all impurities and water, 

 by chemical means, pure acetic acid is com- 

 posed, according to the analysis of M. Berze- 

 lius, of 



Carbon 

 Oxygen 

 Hydrogen - 



Parti. 



4683 

 46-82 

 6-35 



100 



Some plants contain acetic acid naturally. 

 M. Vauquelin found it in the sap of various 

 trees, and in the chick-pea. Scheele detected 

 it in the elderberry. It has been found also in 

 the date palm tree, and in several others ; and 

 few plants exist in which acetic acid in the 

 form of salts, such as the acetates of lime or 

 potassa, is not found. 



In England, for domestic purposes, it is pre- 

 pared in several very considerable manufacto- 

 ries from a mixture of barley or malt with wa- 

 ter, by keeping the wash exposed in open ves- 

 sels to the influence of the atmosphere, in rooms 

 heated to a particular temperature. The forma- 

 tion of the acetic acid in this manner is in these 

 works promoted by the addition of a certain, 

 small proportion of acetic acid. 



An excellent vinegar for domestic purposes 

 may be readily made by exposing a mixture 

 of one part of brown sugar by weight with 

 seven parts of water and some yeast, in a cask 

 whose bung-hole is only slightly covered over 

 (as by a piece of gauze pasted down to keep 

 out insects), for some weeks to the action of 

 the atmosphere and the sun. The acetic fer- 

 mentation and the goodness of the vinegar are 

 promoted by the addition of vine leaves. 



Athough vinegar is familiarly used in small 

 quantity as an agreeable and useful addition to 

 food, yet in large quantities it interrupts diges- 

 tion, and induces emaciation. In combination 



1087 



