92 OUR BODIES AND HOW WE LIVE 



it remains so for a few hours only. The ferments which 

 exist in the air and on the skin of the fruit fall into the 

 liquid and begin to play their part. The liquid, or cider, 

 begins to "work," or undergo the process of fermentation. 

 As it was with grape juice, so it is with the juice of the 

 apple. The bubbles of carbon dioxide begin to rise and 

 alcohol is produced. 



The amount of alcohol increases a little every day, so 

 that the apple juice, which was harmless while in the 

 apple, soon becomes a source of danger. In a few weeks 

 it may contain almost as much alcohol as we find in beer. 



As cider grows older it is said to be growing hard ; that 

 is, the amount of alcohol in it is increasing. Hard cider 

 may contain ten per cent of alcohol. 



It is well known that the results of intoxication from 

 old cider are as bad as, if not worse than, those resulting 

 from indulgence in ardent spirits. Many a person has 

 acquired the appetite for distilled liquors from drinking 

 hard cider. 



135. The Process of Distillation. We all know that 

 when water is heated to the boiling point, or 212 F., it 

 rapidly changes into vapor, known as steam. How often 

 have we watched the steam escaping from the boiling tea- 

 kettle and floating away as vapor to cool off as little drops 

 of water on the cold window glass ! 



Now, when a fermented liquor is heated, a similar change 

 takes place. The alcohol does not, however, need to be 

 heated nearly so hot as water before it begins to escape as 

 vapor. In other words, the alcohol will be converted into 

 vapor before the water becomes hot enough to form steam. 



Thus, when alcohol and water are mixed together, as in 

 fermented liquors, the vaporized alcohol which is driven off 



