260 ALBUMINOUS MATTER. 



mould plants, that is, into cellulose. And albumen is 

 necessary, though in but small quantities, to the for- 

 mation of acetic acid from alcohol, and also of mould. 

 If no trace of albumen were found in the wine, it 

 would be impossible that any^ mould fungi, whose 

 existence depends upon albumen, should be produced 

 in wine in so short a time, as occasionally occurs. 



A considerable quantity of albumen is by no means 

 injurious to wines containing much tannic acid and 

 alcohol, since both these substances check the decom- 

 posing action of albumen ; but in wines containing 

 little tannic acid and alcohol, such, for instance, as 

 the less excellent Ehine wines, the small quantity of 

 albumen contained in them continues to act upon the 

 other ingredients so as to produce decomposition, and 

 such wines will not, therefore, keep long. Such 

 Rhine wines as are able to defy time are richer in 

 alcohol, and those sweet wines which contain a great 

 deal of sugar, possess in that sugar an element which 

 hinders the action of albumen. Sugar may gene- 

 rally be employed to preserve such substances as 

 abound in albumen from spoiling. Excess of sugar, 

 brought into contact with a small portion of albu- 

 minous matter, checks its action, as do also alcohol 

 and tannic acid. 



In conclusion, I must observe, that nitric acid does 

 not precipitate albumen out of wine, but it is found 

 in the copious precipitate caused in wine by acetate of 

 lead. 



