FRUITS AND THEIR COMPOSITION. 315 



Though it cannot be said that carbonic acid plays an essential 

 part in the preparation of wine, it deserves attention on account 

 of its deleterious influence upon the workmen. To avoid all 

 injurious consequences provision should be made for a thorough 

 ventilation of the cellar by means of windows and doors. If 

 fermentation is carried on in barrels, the carbonic acid developed 

 in a number of them should be conducted by means of tubes 

 secured air-tight in the bungs to a zinc-pipe which passes through 

 a suitable aperture into the open air. 



How large the quantity of carbonic acid is which is developed 

 during the fermentation of a barrel holding 1200 liters of must 

 at 10 per cent. = 240 kilogrammes of sugar is shown by the 

 following calculation : 180 grammes of grape-sugar yield 88 

 grammes of carbonic acid at 32 F. 1 gramme of carbonic acid 

 occupies a volume of 0.50848 liter, which, with a cellar tempera- 

 ture of 50 F., corresponds to 0.527294 liter. Hence we have 

 for the calculation of the total quantity of carbonic acid developed 

 88 x 0.527294 X 4000* or ^ much ag 



o 



the contents of 52 barrels containing each 1200 liters. 



Alkaloid in wine. It has been frequently asserted that an alka- 

 loid exists in young wine, which not being contained in the must 

 or the yeast must have been formed from the nitrogenous consti- 

 tuents of the yeast or of the fluid during fermentation. It has 

 not been found in old wine, and it is therefore concluded that it 

 in time decomposes. Should this observation be confirmed, it 

 would explain the difference in the effects of the very intoxicating 

 young wines and of old wines. 



reduced 



