CANE SUGAR. 



tion being a spirit of strength 40-6 O.P. (=21 '0 Sikes) at a temperature of 

 84 F. ; the table is applicable to spirits varying considerably from these 

 adopted standards. 



OBSCURATION TABLE. 



Alcoholometry. Unfortunately iii England and her colonies alcohol 

 is measured in 'proof; a more annoying system could barely have been 

 devised ; by proof spirit is meant one which at 62 F. weighs -J-f- of an equal 

 bulk of water; 40 over proof (O.P.) means that 100 volumes of the spirit 

 contain as much alcohol as 140 volumes of proof; 40 under (U.P.) means that 

 140 volumes of the spirit contain as much alcohol as 100 volumes of proof; 

 absolute alcohol is 75*25 O.P., so that to convert volumes of proof spirit to 

 alcohol it is necessary to divide by 1'7525 and vice versa. Proof spirit contains 

 49-3 per cent, by weight, 57'06 per cent, by volume of alcohol. In France, 

 and also in Germany, the Gay Lussac scale is used ; this is the most rational 

 one and gives directly the percentage of alcohol by volume. The Cartier scale 

 is an empirical one, 43 being absolute alcohol and 22 being proof spirit. The 

 Beck scale is also an empirical one, 43'9 being absolute alcohol and 14-8 being 

 proof spirit. In the U.S.A. the Gendar scale is used ; 200 is absolute alcohol, 

 100 is U.S. proof (i.e., 50 per cent, by volume) and is water. 



The bubbles used in distilleries as a guide in the test case are based on 

 the Cartier scale; they are numbered from 16 to 30 ; bubble 25 corresponds 

 with 25 Cartier, but bubble 26 corresponds to 24 Cartier, &c. 



538 



