SPIRITS. 



The colouring is not only necefTary on tliis account, but 

 as we ufually efteem the fpirits by the proof of the crown of 

 bubbles, it is found that the clean redified ipirit will not 

 afford this proof till it has received its dofe of the colour. 

 The diilillers difptnfe this colour in any proportion that 

 they find convenient or ncceflary ; it is always yellow, but, 

 according to the degree, differs extremely in dcepnefs, from 

 the palell Itraw-colour to the deepeft orange. This 3rt of 

 colouring was hrfl; introduced, from obferving that all the 

 fine and foft foreign brandies, that had tlie mcllownefs ne- 

 ceflary to their perfeftion to the tafte, had alfo a yellow 

 colour. The colour, in this cafe, has indeed nothing to do 

 with the flavour ; but that being kept in calks the fame age 

 that was neceffary to give them this mellownefs, would alfo 

 give them a colour from the wood. It was hence fuppofed, 

 that the particular excellence of the foreign brandies de- 

 pended on the woody colour, and accordingly pains have 

 been taken to give the fame colour to our fpirits by various 

 methods. 



The way of obtaining it, by many years Handing in the 

 calk, proved too tedious for our hafty workmen, and ac- 

 cordingly they provided means of giving it extempore by 

 itrong tindlures of feveral ingredients ; the chief of which 

 are logwood, faffron, Japan earth, treacle, burnt fugar, and 

 oak-chips ; the three former of thefe have but little to re- 

 commend them, but the others are found very ready, and 

 very proper for the ufe. 



Treacle gives a fine colour not much unlike that of the 

 foreign brandies, and being neceffarily ufed in a large 

 quantity, as its colour is but dilute, it not only mends the 

 bubble, or bead-proof, impaired by the redtification, but 

 alfo gives it a fulnefs in the mouth ; both which properties 

 are very agreeable to the vulgar, who are the chief retail 

 confumers of thefe coarfe goods. 



Burnt fugar, that is, fugar dilTolved in a little water, 

 id fcorclied over the fire yll it turns black, goes much 

 farther in the colouring than treacle, and at the fame time 

 gives no fweetnefs, but rather an agreeable bitternels ; and 

 thus recommends itfelf to the nicer palates, that are not 

 for a lufcious fpirit. Indeed fugar, thus treated, tinges to 

 a great perfeftion, and that without lofs of time, and with 

 as much cheapncfs as can well be dcfired. 



The lalt article mentioned, namely oak-chips, is of all 

 others the moll natural for imitating the dye of foreign 

 fpirits, as it is the very wood of which the cailcs they come 

 over in are made, and from which they take that colour of 

 which we are fo fond. The colouring with oak has alfo 

 this farther advantage in fpirits meant as fophiltications of 

 the foreign ones, that it will Hand fome tefts ufually had re- 

 courfe to on the occafioii, which the others will not ftand. 



Common fpirit poured on oak-chips, and digefted in a 

 moderate heat, eafily fetches out the refinous part of the 

 wood on which the colouring depends ; but then it does 

 not go near fo far as the burnt fugar ; a large quantity of 

 oak being required to colour a Imall parcel of brandy, or 

 fpirits. It is advifeable not to make the tinfturc every 

 time, but to have recourfe to an extraft of this wood in a 

 liquid form : this extracl is bell made in two menltruums, 

 alcohol and water, and may be evapor.itcd to any llrcngth, 

 fo that a very fmall dofe of it will tinge a great quantity 

 of liquor. The two liquid extracts will be mixed together, 

 and as they will be apt to feparate in Handing, it will be 

 proper to add to them, when newly made, a quantity of 

 fine fugar ; this will give a body to the whole, and it will 

 keep better from mouldinefs than it would without it. 

 Shaw's Ellay on DilUllery. 



Vol. XXXIII. 



Spirit.;, Con-verlMity of. This is a doftrine that ha? 

 obtained among many of the moll curious experimenters, 

 and, indeed, the moft intelligent of our chemitts have alway* 

 allowed, that provided proper care were taken in the getting 

 together of the material, one fpirit may always be changed 

 into another, as brandy into rum, malt-fpirit into brandy 

 and brandy into malt-fpirit. The principles on which this 

 is believed are thefe. 



All fimple fpirits (as they are called) confift of four 

 parts, water, oil, phlegm, and alcohol; the la ft of thefe ii 

 the ell'ential part, and is what conllitutes the whole a fpirit. 

 In reducing fpirits, therefore, to their utmoil degree of 

 fimplicity and purity, it is evident that the three fuper- 

 fluous parts are to be got rid of, and the fourth left alone ; 

 by this means the alcohol is procured ditlinft, and is a 

 liquor fm generis of many peculiar qualities, not to be 

 found in any other fluid. 



Among others, it has thefe remarkable properties: 

 I. When abfolutely purified, it is an uniform and homogene 

 liquor, capable of no farther feparation, without lofs or 

 dellruftion of fomc of its homogeneous parts. 2. It is 

 totally inflammable, leaving no foot nor any moillure behind. 

 3. It has no peculiar taile or flavour, any more than pure 

 water, except what is owing to its nature as alcohol, or 

 perfeftly pure fpirit. 4. It is an unftuous and crifpy fluid, 

 running veiny in the diltillation, and its drops rolling on 

 the furface of any other fluid, hke peafe upon a table, 

 before they unite. 5. It appears to be the elTential oil of 

 the body it is obtained from, broken very fine, and inti- 

 mately and llrongly mixed with an aqueous fluid, which is 

 aflimilated, or changed in its nature in the operation. 

 6. And laftly, it feems to be a kind of univerfal fluid, pro- 

 ducible with the fame properties from every vegetable 

 fubjeft ; but to produce it thus requires fome care in the 

 operation. See Alcohol. 



On thefe principles is founded the opinion, that all fpirits 

 may be reduced to a perfeft fimilarity, or famenefs, from 

 whatever fubjeft they were procured, and on this depends 

 their convertibility into one another ; for when once they 

 are brought to this ftandard of fimplicity, there needs no- 

 thing more than to add the oil of fuch of the finer fpirits 

 as is required to convert the fpirit into that particular 

 kind. By this means the fame tatlelefs fpirit, whether ob- 

 tained from malt, fugar, or grapes, may be made either into 

 malt-fpirit, brandy, or nun, by adding the cfiential oil of 

 the grape, fugar, or malt ; and thus, what was once malt- 

 fpirit, fhall become brandy, or whatever elfe the operator 

 pleafes. 



Many methods have been attempted to obtain the firft 

 point, that is, the reducing of the fpirit to perfcft and pure 

 alcohol. The moll pradiicable means feem to be long 

 digeltion, and the repeated dilhllation from water into water, 

 wliere the ellential oil will at once be left upon two furfaces, 

 and the acid imbibed. The fliorter ways are thofe by 

 rcflifying from neutral abforbent falls and earths ; fuch as 

 fugar, chalk, and the like. And lalfly, the ulc of fixed 

 alkalies may be trit-d, for thefe very forcibly keep down 

 both the phlegm and oil ; infomuch that this lail method 

 promifcs to be the fliortelt of all, if the art were known of 

 utterly abolifliing the alkaline flavour, which the alcohol 

 is apt to acquire in this operation, and which, for this pur- 

 pofe, is by no means fuitable, as abfolutely dcflroyiiig all 

 vinofity, which univerfally cunfills in a fine volatile |)ungent 

 acidity. The diilillers are the only people whole bufinefs 

 would lead them to make the experiment. This method 

 of converting one fpirit into another, would be of immcnfc 

 4 C profit 



