FEEMENTAT101S T . 59 



I and injurious to the production of a large quantity of 

 I alcohol. 



375 grammes (5787'7 grains) of must were put 

 I into a flask from which air had been expelled, and a 

 I globe, capable of containing 44 litres (77^ pints), out 

 I of which also the air had been pumped, was screwed 

 I upon it. Except, therefore, for the minimum quan- 

 I tity of air which the liquid might have absorbed during 

 [ pressing, it might be looked upon as fermenting in 

 I a space devoid of air. 



At the same time, an equal quantity of the same 



(must was put into a bottle filled with air, and a globe 

 filled with air was screwed upon it. This globe was, 

 I during the two following days, freed every now and 

 then from the gaseous contents present in it, and bur- 

 nished with fresh air. This liquid might, therefore, 

 be regarded as possessing an excess of air. 



At the end of four weeks the liquids were distilled, 

 when the quantity of alcohol found in the flask 

 devoid of air was four times as great as in that filled 

 with air. 



This result again intimates that much air is unne- 

 cessary, and even injurious to the production of 

 alcohol. That it is unnecessary, was sufficiently 

 proved by the large experience obtained from the 

 fermentations in Gervais's apparatus (vats covered 

 with loose lids), the object of which was to condense 

 into water the alcohol escaping with carbonic acid ; 

 that it is injurious, is proved by the acids which a 



