A L C 



\nfr to afceitain by tliofe experiments tlic exncfl proportion 

 ot I'.ie coir.ponent parts of alcohol, Inice a large part of the 

 car'ooiiaceous ingredient efcapes the cupper, and palFcs over 

 into the vcflels which receive the inflammuble air, where it 

 either appears in tlie form ot a fine black foot, or remains 

 permr.uently vniited with the hydrogen gas. M. Van Ma- 

 rum likewife collected in the bottle conneftcd with the ftr- 

 pentinc a quantity of nearly pure water, about equal to half 

 the weight of the alcohol evaporated by boiling, and of the 

 fpecific gravity of .996. He does not inform us of the 

 ftrength of the fpirit which he ufed. He confirmed the 

 other part of Dr. Prieftley's experiment by burning the 

 charcoal of copp:-r in oxygen gas, and procuring pure car- 

 bonic acid, •whilll the remaining copper ilill retained a fmall 

 portion of carbon which could not be confumed. It is 

 worthy of remark, that the inflammable air produced in tlie 

 experiments of both thefe eminent chemills was found to be 

 not much more than twice as light as common air, and it 

 probably bears a confiderable relemblancc to that fpecies of 

 gas, termed, with great propriety by Mr. Cruiklhank, 

 Cii/'fous Oxyd oi Carp, on. 



The vapour of alcohol tranfmitted through earthen tubes 

 forms, in particular cncumllanccs, that lingular air which 

 has been named Olefiant Gas. 



The ules to which alcohol is applied are numerous and 

 important. In the arts, it is employed largely as a folvent 

 fo!- thofe refmous gums which form the baiis of numerous 

 varnifhes and fimilar applications. 



It polFefTes in the highell degree the cordial, (limulating, 

 and intoxicating qualities of all diitilled fpirits, and altliough 

 the lefs powerful and more grateful ot the fpiriluous liquors, 

 fuch as rum, brandy, &c. are more peculiarly devoted to 

 the ufe of the table, the purer ardent fpirit, again fufficiently 

 diluted with water, is employed as the bafis of many of the 

 artificial cordial fpirits and liquors, to which a flavour and 

 additional tafte are given by particular admixtures. Similar 

 to this is the ufe of alcohol in medicine, where it ferves as 

 a folvent for the more active parts of vegetables, under 

 the form of tinttures, and it is alfo employed as an exteniiJ 

 application, often with confiderable luccefs. 



The highly antifeptic power ot alcohol renders it par- 

 ticularly valuable in prefcrving particular parts of the body 

 as anatomical prepai-ations. 



The gentle, lieady, and imiform heat which it gives during 

 combultion, and the abfcnce of fmoke or fuligir.ous vapour 

 of any kind, make it often a moll eligible material for burning 

 in lamps. 



As a fluid for thermometers, it has the advantage over 

 mercury in not freezing in any known degree of cold, but 

 frt)m its ready volatility in a moderate heat it cannot 

 be depended on with any accuracy, above 90 or 100 de- 

 grees. 



The expanfibility of alcohol is much greater than water ; 

 the former being, in a range of temperature frooi 3010 too, 

 -j-Uth of its bulk, and the latter only tt''-''- 



The ufe of alcohol in chemical auatyfis has been already 

 mentioned. As a folvent for fome of the earthy and meiallic 

 lilts, and a precipitant of others, it is peculiarly fitted to affill 

 ill the aualyfis of mineral waters, and ialine lubflances in 

 general ; and in the chemical examination of vegetable and 

 animal matter, it furniflies a folvent of very exteufive power, 

 pofTefled of the valuable advantage to the chcmiil of pro- 

 ducing but little decoinpofition in the lubltances which it 

 holds in fohilion, and therefore enabling him to prefcnt them 

 almoll exai'ily wiih their native properties and dillinctive 

 characters. 



Vol. I. 



A L C 



Bi.cihaave's Chemiftry, vol. ii Euoyclopcdie Melho- 



dique Art. Alcool. — Friellley on Air, 2d edition. — Aiuraks 

 Dc Chiniic, torn. xxx. 



Alcohol is fometimes alfo ufed for a very fine, impal- 

 pable powder, wliich women in the liall make ufe of as a 

 kind ot J'licus. Kohol is a general term applied to a fub- 

 llance applied to the eye -ball, on the infide of the eye-lids, 

 in the form of a powder finely levigated. That which is em- 

 ployed for ornament is called fimply al kohol, or ifplialiany ; 

 when other ingredients, as llowtis of olibanum, amber, and 

 the like, are added, on account of fomc particular difoiders, 

 the kohol is dillinguilhed by tome appropriate epithet. Dr. 

 Shaw, in his Travels, fpeaking of the women in Baibary, 

 fays, that none of thefe ladies think thcmfelves completely 

 drelfed, until they have tinged their hair and edges ot their 

 eye-hds with ul-La-hoK the powder of lead-ore. Lady Mon- 

 tague (Letters, vol. ii. p. 32.) takes notice of this cuflom 

 among the Eallern women; and in lier fprightly manner, (lie 

 fuppoies our Englilh ladies would be overjoyed to know this 

 fecret. This ore ufed at Aleppo, called Stibium by the 

 ancients, but veiy different from antimony, i.; brought from 

 Pcrfia, and is prepared by roalling it in a quince, an apple, 

 or a truflle, then adding a few drops of oil of almonds, it 

 is ground to a fubtile powder on a marble. Of late years 

 the lead ore, brought from England, under the name of 

 Arcifoglio, has been ufed inllead of the ifphahany. Tlic 

 quantity of kohol confumed in the Eaft is incredibly great. 

 It has been faid by one of their peets, in allufion to the 

 probe iifed for applying the powder, and the mountains 

 where the mineral is found, " that the mountains have been 

 worn away by a bodkin." This probe or bodkin, called 

 meel, is made ot ivory, filver, or wood ; it is dipped in 

 water, and when a little of the powder has been fprinkled 

 on it, it is applied horizontally to the eye, and the eye-lids 

 being fliut upon it, the probe is drawn between them, leaving 

 the inlidc tinged, and a black rim all round the edge. The 

 Roman Satyriil alludes to this cutlom, as well as that of 

 blackening the eyebrows : 



" Ilia fupcrcilium madida fuligine taftum 1 



Obliqua producit acu, pingitquc trementes 

 AttoUens oculos." 



Juvenal, Sat. ii. v. 67, and Cafaubon's note. 



The kohol is alfo ufed by the men for flrengthening the 

 fight, and preventing various diforders of the eye, for which 

 purpofe diflerent ingredients are occafionally added. It is 

 alfo applied to the eyes of children, as foon as they are 

 born, and is renewed at the interval of a few days through 

 the feveral periods of their adolefcence. The ufe of the 

 kohol is of very ancient date. Paifages relative to it, in 

 faeied hiftory, may be feen in Shaw, (Travels, p. 229.), 

 Harmer, (Obfervations, vol. ii. p. 405.), and Lowth's Notes 

 on Ilaiah, chap. iii. v. [6. Harmtr conceives that the r«/- 

 iiifs of the eyej, as it is in our v rfion, which the dying pa- 

 triarch mentions in blefling Judaii, (Gen. xlix. 13.), is to be 

 explained by this ufage. Dr. Rullell obferves, on a pafTage 

 in Xenophon referred to h\ Shaw, that blackening the eyes, 

 though a cullom among the Medes, was not at that time in 

 ufe among the Perfians ; for Cyrus, among other things, 

 feems to have been lurpriled at tlie painted eyes of his 

 grandfather Allyages. Cyropced. lib, i. p. y. See Ruf- 

 lell's Aleppo, vol. i. p. III. p. 367. Ed. 1794. From this 

 imp.dpable powder tlic name was transftrred to other fubti'e 

 powders, and afterwards to fpirits of wine exalted to its 

 liigheft purity and perfeftion. See Porphvrisation, 



Alcohol, in the Arabian ytjlrolo^, is when a heavy 

 4 D flow-paced 



