54 Researches on Wines and other Fermented Liquors. 
of alcohol, being taken as the standard, and set down as one hun- 
dred. 
Brandy, — - - 100. |Sauterne, (22) - 24,84 
Strongest Madeira, (1) 48.26/Claret, (average) - 2188 
Weakest Madeira, (6) 36.14/American Wine, (25) 21.07 
Port, (average) = - 42.33|Metheglin, (26) - 19.79 
Bucellas, (16) - 39.21|Ale, (27) - - 19.98 
Sherry, (17) - 33.75|Ale, (28) - - 13.82 
Torres Vedras, (21) 38.22|Cider, (average) - 8.76 
From this table it appears that two measures of strong Madeira 
are equivalent in the amount of alcohol which they contain, to nearly 
one measure of brandy, and that about five measures of ale are equiv- 
alent to about one of brandy. It will perhaps be quite generally as- 
serted that the intoxicating powers of these liquors are not in the 
proportions thus expressed ; and hence the opinion that the effect of 
alcohol in wines and other fermented liquors is modified by the other 
vegetable matters which they contain. I apprehend, however, that 
the difference is not so great, all things being equal, as might at first 
be supposed. The following facts appear to me to throw some light 
‘on this subject. 
New wine is said to be more intoxicating than that which is old, 
although the latter is usually more spirituous. ‘The reason of this 
undoubtedly is that the alcohol by time becomes more intimately 
combined with the water and thus to a certain extent loses its power 
of intoxication. The union of alcohol and water is not complete 
until they have been for some time in contact, and hence when brandy 
and water are taken into the stomach immediately after their mixture, 
the effect on the system is not very different from that produced by 
the same proportion of brandy taken separately. 
Mr. Brande, in one of his papers, assures us, that when brandy and 
water are mixed and allowed to remain in combination for some time, 
the intoxicating power is not greater than that of wie containing an 
equivalent of brandy. In wines, the union of the alcohol and water 
becomes complete by the process of attenuation, and it is in my 
opinion to this more than to the controling effects of the other vege- 
table matters, that we are to ascribe their less decided intoxicating 
powers. And on the contrary, it is to the imperfect union that the 
ordinary mixtures of brandy and water owe their more energetic ac- 
tion on the system. 
