130 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XVI. No. 396 



that recalls that of pears. Both of these substances have 

 been little studied by chemists. 



In short, very complex in their compositions, which are 

 still very imperfectly known, the spirits of commerce not 

 only contain the ethyl, propyl, butyl, and amyl series of 

 alcohol compounds, on which most research has been con- 

 centrated, but also a certain number of other products, as 

 pyridin and several aldehydes of unknown composition. 



Drs. Laborde and Magnan submitted a report to the 

 French Academy of Medicine, Oct. 21, 1888, giving the re- 

 sults of their experiments with the higher alcohols and arti- 

 ficial bouquets, in regard to their toxic effects on animals, 

 comparing the effects of the natural products with those of 

 the artificial products.' 



All spirits consist of a more or less diluted ethyl alcohol 

 containing traces of the higher boiling compounds, com- 

 monly called fusel oil, the proportion depending on the care 

 exercised by the distiller in stopping the distillation when 

 the vapor temperature rises above the boiling point of ethyl 

 alcohol, and certain flavoring bodies depending on the ma- 

 terial employed. The deleterious effects of raw spirits are 

 attributable to the presence of these higher-boiling alcohols, 

 which, by slow oxidation by exposure to the air, are more 

 or less changed and converted into certain ethers which are 

 comparatively harmless. 



All spirits are colorless when first distilled, and if kept in 

 glass or earthenware vessels would so remain; but being 

 stored in oak barrels, the staves of which are generally 

 charred, they gradually acquire a more or less topaz hue. 

 It is therefore the tannin and other extractive matters of the 

 wooden casks that produce the color in all spirits made by 

 distillers. Rectifiers, however, generally use caramel or 

 burnt sugar to color their goods. 



Most nations are accustomed to consume alcoholic bever- 

 ages, and in some of the most barbarous tribes a crude 

 method of preparing alcohol is known. For instance, 

 starchy roots are masticated, then spat into a vessel and 

 allowed to ferment, the resulting alcoholic liquid being 

 drunk with much satisfaction. In Alaska the Indians were 

 accustomed to save up the rations of sugar issued to them 

 by the Government till a sufficient quantity was obtained, 

 when a solution was made with water, compressed yeast 

 added, and the fermentation conducted near their fires, and 

 the resulting alcoholic liquid was strong enough to produce 

 intoxication when drunk in sufficient quantity. This re- 

 sulted in the Treasury agent stopping the sugar rations. 



Table II. shows the percentage of absolute alcohol con- 

 tained in certain typical fermented and distilled liquors, and 

 the results are the means of many analyses. 



That cider should contain more alcohol than ale or porter 

 may be a surprising statement to many readers. 



The so-called sweet wines are nothing but artificial, that 

 is, they consist of dry wines adulterated with alcohol and 

 sugar. In Europe there are very stringent laws, in most of 

 the wine-producing countries, against the sale, as wine, of 

 any wine which is not the product of the fermentation of 

 the juice of fresh grapes. All wines made from the second 

 pressing of the marc or grape residue, with the addition of 

 sugar, alcohol, etc., are compelled to be labelled, sold, 

 shipped, etc., as artificial wines. These sweet wines are 



' Kev. Quea. 4 a., T. 2, 1888, pp. 1369, 1423. 



really diluted brandy sweetened ; their alcoholic and sugar 

 contents are nearly equal, and together form about one-half 

 of the volume of the liquid. 



Table II. — Showing the Percentage of Absolute Alcohol 

 in Certain Typical Beverages. 



Per Cent Absolute Alcohol. 



Beverage, 



Welsa beer, Berlin. 



" *' American 

 Draught beer. 

 Lager " 



Export ' ' 

 Bock " 



Porter 



Ale 



Cider, American sweet, 



'* well fermented 



Wine, Europe 



" California 

 Whiskey, Scotch, 



" Irish. 



" English 



" American, corn. 



" Russian 

 Brandy, French 

 Rum 



German schnaps. 



The different varieties of beer and ale are among the light- 

 est of the alcoholic beverages, the amount. of alcohol they 

 contain depending on how far the fermentation of the wort 

 was conducted. In their endeavor to supply a light-colored 

 beer, brewers are resorting to the use of malt substitutes, as 

 glucose, as giving them more satisfactory results, — a prac- 

 tice that presents no objection on the score of health. Such 

 light-colored beers, however, lack the full and fine flavor of 

 a beer made from malt exclusively. In bottling their beer, 

 in order to prevent further fermentation, resort is had to 

 antiseptics, a practice which should be prohibited by law, as 

 the quantity and kind of antiseptic used varies in the differ- 

 ent bottling establishments: some brewers and bottlers, how- 

 ever, do not use antiseptics. The use of alkaline bi-car- 

 bonates to increase the head of gas is another adulteration 

 of bottled beers. When hops are scarce, and consequently 

 dear, resort is had to other bitters, as gentian and quassia ; 

 but that brewers habitually employ unwholesome bitters, as 

 strychnine and picric acid, is extremely unlikely, because, if 

 for no other reason, their sales would decrease on the mere 

 suspicion of such practice. According to the internal reve- 

 nue law (B. S. 3,337), every brewer is compelled to keep 

 books in which he enters from day to day the kind of malt 

 liquors made, the estimated quantity produced, and the ac- 

 tual quantity sold, and an account of all materials, includ- 

 ing grain or malt, purchased by him for the purpose of pro- 

 ducing such fermented liquors. At the end of each month 

 the brewer has to send a copy, duly attested under oath, of 



