ADULTERATION OF WINE. 363 



Batilliat prescribes a very opposite treatment for 

 Burgundy, and recommends 1 gramme, (15'4 grs.) of 

 tartaric acid, to every litre (1*8 pints) of wine, by 

 which means the wine is said to retain in a high 

 degree the capability of bearing exportation to a warm 

 climate (p. 130). 



Lassaigne has made the observation that from -^^ths 

 to T^ths sulphuric acid are often mixed with French 

 wines. This may be partially ascertained by the use 

 of chloride of barium and nitric acid, but this method 

 cannot be entirely depended on, as by the sulphurising 

 of the wine sulphurous may be resolved into sulphuric 

 acid. The method recommended by Lassaigne is also 

 incomplete. Half a strip of paper must be dipped in 

 wine and then thoroughly dried ; what has been dipped 

 in the wine will be carbonised by the concentrated 

 sulphuric acid. But potash, lime, and magnesia are 

 also in the wine. The sulphuric acid added will 

 saturate these bases and set free tartaric and even 

 phosphoric acid. Unless more sulphuric acid has been 

 added than these bases can take up, Lassaigne's test will 

 be useless. From 0*2 to 0'5 per cent, ashes are found 

 in various wines (p. 293), and from Ol to 0'3 percent, 

 sulphuric acid may well be taken up in some kinds 

 without a trace being indicated by Lassaigne's test. 



The best of all plans is comparison with a good 

 kind of wine, either by determining the amount of sul- 

 phuric acid, or by nitric acid and chloride of barium ; 

 or by diluting with water, which generally suffices. If 



