GRAPE VINES. 39 



used. The Iron wine was known to the ancients ; it 

 was made by putting rusty nails into it, or quenching in 

 it nails made red hot : it is a powerful tonic and restora- 

 tive. The Emetic wine is now made with tartar emetic 

 dissolved into wine : it is one of the most certain and 

 less disagreeable emetics. Every febrifuge medicament 

 ought to be given in mild wine, as it increases the effect. 

 Vinegar is the result of acetic fermentation ; the best 

 is made with sour wine, both red and white. Any bad 

 wine unfit to drink becomes vinegar by itself after a 

 while. When wanted quick, it must be put into a bar- 

 rel washed with boiling water. Vinegar is used as a con- 

 diment in sallads and many dishes : to make pickles, 

 sauces, syrup, distilled vinegar, acetic acid, medicated 

 vinegars, perfumed vinegars, &c. It is highly medical, 

 antiseptic, refrigerant, analeptic, &c. The external use 

 of it is very useful in fevers, head aches, syncope, as- 

 phyxia, hysteric and nervous affections. From it are 

 made the vinegar of squills, colchicum, opium, camphor, 

 &c. Vinegar can be discolored and made as clear as 

 water, by filtration over animal charcoal or burnt bones: 

 and it is then a good vehicle for perfumes, scented wa- 

 ters and washes used by ladies. The ancient Romans 

 drank vinegar and water. A kind of lemonade may be 

 made with it and sugar. The syrup of vinegar is very 

 refreshing in summer. Pickles are only good when the 

 substances pickled are healthy, thus boiled beets, car- 

 rots, onions, tomatos, &c. make good pickles, while pick- 

 led cucumbers, walnuts, cayenne pepper, &c. are very 

 bad and unhealthy. 



Brandy is distilled wine, consisting of alcohol, water, 

 and the peculiar oil of wine. It contains over one half 

 of alcohol. Wines produce more or less brandy, accoi'd- 

 ing to their strength, many weak French wines produce 

 only one-fifth. The quality of the brandy depends on 

 the wine, and the mode of distilling it. W^hen new it is 

 as clear as water, but gets a coloring in the oak casks : 

 it is also colored by burnt sugar, and thus is always im- 

 pure. By age it loses its firy taste, and becomes mel- 

 low or milder. It is always unhealthy, even drank mo- 

 derately and with water, but perhaps less so than rum 

 and whiskey. It speedily produces the worst kind of 



