Alcohol. 207 



we find it in use among nearly all races of men, and ac- 

 counts of it in the early records of history. But it was 

 not until the microscope was invented that the ferment 

 which is its cause was known. When alcohol accumulates 

 in the fermenting liquid to the amount of 14 per cent, it 

 kills the ferment germs ; consequently no natural wine 

 can contain more than this amount. Wines are classed 

 as light wines and heavy wines. The light wines contain 

 from 5 to 12 per cent alcohol. The heavy wines include 

 all wines with more than this amount, and have had 

 brandy, or other spirit, added to them, having from 16 

 to 25 per cent, or even more, alcohol. 



The Danger in Wine-drinking. Because some of the 

 wines contain a relatively small per cent of alcohol, there 

 is a common delusion that there is not much harm in 

 drinking them. Let us consider three points regarding 

 this, (i) We do not argue or act in the same way in re- 

 gard to other substances that are known to be poisonous. 

 We do not venture to take small doses of arsenic or phos- 

 phorus, saying, " Oh ! a little will not hurt me." The 

 poison is there just the same and will have its effect. 

 (2) In small quantities the alcohol in the wine has the 

 power to fix the alcohol habit, which is cumulative, and 

 leads to a desire for more, which is almost impossible to 

 resist. (3) Because of the very fact that the percentage 

 of alcohol in wines is low, enough more of the liquid is 

 taken to introduce into the system actually more alcohol 

 than is taken by those who drink stronger liquors. 



Wine-drinking cannot be too strongly condemned, either 

 on the ground of the effects it directly produces or the fact 

 that it leads to the use of stronger liquors. 



Vinegar. After sweet cider has fermented or become 



