WINES. 



347 



The same wine was also submitted to an analysis by the old process, 

 somewbat higher results being obtained, from which Legler concludes 

 that his method gives lower but more correct figures. He also obtained 

 promising results from beer and sweet wines. This method was tried 

 on some of the samples analyzed in the Chemical Division, the analytical 

 work being done by Mr. Felix Lengfeld. 



The apparatus for the estimation of the carbonic acid was a specially 

 designed one used for most carbonic acid estimates in the laboratory, 

 and provided for the absorption of the dried gas by soda lime. A trial 

 was first made with pure glycerine, which gave very satisfactory results, 

 as follows : Weight of pure glycerine taken, .3645 ; weight glycerice ob- 

 tained, .3005 ; difference, .004. 



When it was applied to the wines, however, it was found that the re- 

 sults obtained varied widely from those obtained from the same samples 

 by the old method, and instead of the variation being constant, it was 

 found that sometimes the results were higher, sometimes lower, than by 

 the old method, the manner of manipulation making a very marked dif- 

 ference in the quantities obtained. Thus when just about sufficient 

 lime was taken to combine with the sugar present and the mass not 

 evaporated very closely, higher results were obtained by Legler's pro- 

 cess than by the old method, while if a large excess of lime was added 

 and the whole evaporated very nearly to dryness the results were lower. 



Thus Nos. 4998 and 4999, treated with considerable lime and evapo- 

 rated nearly to dryness, gave the following results : 



While Nos. 4995, 5000, and 5002, treated with a smaller amount of 

 lime, and not evaporated so closely, gave : 



From these and from several other determinations, where the differ- 

 ences were still more marked, it was concluded that Legler's method as 

 it stands now cannot be relied on to give constant results with wines, for 

 though undoubtedly an accurate method of estimating pure glycerine, 

 it is open to the same objection that applies to the method by oxidation 

 with permanganate, viz, that other organic bodies are also oxidized, when 

 present, and give too high results. In the extraction of the glycerine 



