VINEGAR. 



didiUer or re&ificr ot Ipirits in tlie fame premifes, or within 

 two miles thereof; and all entries made by fuch perfon 

 fhall be void. 26 Geo. III. c. 73. 



All dale beer, returns of beer or ale, cyder, verjuice, or 

 any other liquor proper to be made into vinegar, which (hall 

 be found in the pofleffion of any common vinegar-maker, 

 except fuch as are to be drunk in his family, and which 

 (hall be kept feparate for that purpofe, fliall be deemed 

 vinegar or liquors preparing for vinegar. 10 & II W. 

 c. 21. 



Every fuch vinegar-maker (liall make entry once a month 

 at the next excife-office of all liquors made within that month, 

 »nd alfo within a month after fuch entry, fliall clear off the 

 duties, on pain of double duty. 12 Ch. II. c. 24. 



All penalties and forfeitures are to be recovered, levied, 

 and mitigated as by the excife laws. 43 Geo. III. c. 69. 



Vinegar, Chemical Properties of the pure Acid of the dif- 

 ferent Kinds of. See Acetous Acid, 



The quantity of fixt alkaline fait which vinegar is ca- 

 pable of faturating, is one of the fureft criterions of its 

 ftrength. The beft of the German vinegars, according 

 to Stahl, faturate little more than ^\.\\ of their own 

 weight ; the French vinegars, examined by Geoffroy, 

 above -1'5-th ; and fome of them no lefs than -rV^h ; the 

 common dillilled vinegar of our (hops about .-Vth. By 

 congelation, and diftillation from alkaUes, and from fome 

 metallic bodies, particularly copper, the acid may be 

 fo far concentrated as to faturate nearly equal its own 

 weight. The beft way of judging of the faturation, ac- 

 cording to Dr. Lewis, is by trying the liquor from time 

 to time with certain coloured vegetable juices, or on paper 

 ftained with them. For this purpofe, a thick writing paper 

 may be ftained pale blue on one fide with the blue prepara- 

 tion of archil, commonly called lacmus ; and pale red on the 

 otlier fide, by a mixture of the fame infufion with fo much 

 diluted fpiril of fait as is juft fufficient to redden it. If a 

 fmall flip of this paper be dipped occafionally into the liquor 

 to be tried, or a drop of the liquor be applied on both fides 

 of the paper, the red fide turns blue as long as any of the 

 alkali remains unfaturated ; the blue fide turns red, when 

 the acid begins to prevail ; and no change at all is produced, 

 vrhen the faturation is complete. Where lacmus cannot be 

 procured, the paper may be coloured with the juices of 

 yiolets, iris, cyanus, &c. or with the blue juice preffed out 

 from fcrapings of the cortical part of common radifh roots ; 

 with which it is fufficient to ftain the paper on one fide ; this 

 one colour difcovering both acidity and alkalefcence, the 

 former changing it red, and the latter green. 



The acetous acid differs effentially from all the others : 

 from the native vegetable acid, in fubtility and volatility ; 

 not being obtainable in the form of a concrete fait, which 

 moft, perhaps all, of the native ones are, and rifing in dif- 

 tillation witli a moderate heat, which very few of the native 

 ones have been found to do : from the mineral acids, in its 

 habitude to different bodies, and the nature of the com- 

 povmds which it forms with them, being much weaker than 

 the mineral acids : thus, whatever alkaline, earthy, or me- 

 tallic fubftance the acetous acid be combined with, the ad- 

 dition of any mineral acid will disjoin them, the mineral 

 taking the place of the acetous; neutral falts, compofed of 

 the acetous acid and fixed alkalies, diffolve totally and plenti- 

 fully in reftified fpirit of wine, whilft thofe compofed of 

 the fame alkalies and mineral acids are not at all foluble in 

 that menftruum : in this property, the acetous acid differs 

 alfo from moft, perhaps from all, of the acids of its own 

 kingdom ; and from all acids in general, in its peculiar 

 odour. 



The acid of vinegar diffolvcs ali fubftances upon which 

 other acids can ai5t, and forms with them neutral falts, all 

 wliich may be called acetous falts. With calcareous earth 

 it forms falts, which in cryftallizing fhoot into filky ramifi- 

 cations and vegetations ; thefe falts are named, from their 

 earthy bafes, fait of chalk, fait of crabs' eyes, &c. (See 

 AcETiTE of Lime, Sec. ) The folubility of calcareous 

 earth in this acid, and its precipitability bv that of vitriol, 

 afford a ready method of difcovering the fophiftication of 

 vinegar, faid to be fometimes praftiled, with vitriolic acid. 

 If a faturated folution of any calcareous earth, as chalk, 

 made in ftrong vinegar, be added to fuch as is fufpefted of 

 containing vitriolic acid, no change will enfue, if the vinegar 

 was pure ; but if it contained even a minute portion of that 

 acid, the mixture will immediately become milky, and, on 

 ftanding for a little while, depofit a milky fediment : if the 

 calcareous folution be gradually dropt in, fo long as it pro- 

 duces any milkinefs or cloudinefs, all the vitriolic acid will 

 be abforbed by the chalk ; and as this new compound is very 

 fparingly diffoluble, nearly the whole of it will precipitate, 

 fo as to leave the vinegar almoft pura. Its adulteration 

 with vitrioHc or fulphuric acid may alfo be detefted by a 

 folution of nitrate of barytes, which forms a white precipi- 

 tate, when dropped into the fufpefted vinegar, infoluble in 

 nitric acid, after having been expofed to a ftrong heat. 

 With fixed vegetable alkali the acid of vinegar forms a very 

 pungent and very deliquefcent fait, called Regenerated 

 Tartar, or T^RR A foliata tartari ; which fee. (See alfo 

 AcETiTE of Potajh. ) With fixed mineral alkali it forms a 

 neutral cryftallizable fait. With volatile alkali it forms 

 an acetous ammoniacal fait, called fpirit of Mindererus. 

 See AcETITE of Ammonia. 



Vinegar diffolves, among metallic bodies, zinc and iron ; 

 and the reft with difficulty, if at all. f See Acetous Acid. ) 

 United with copper, it forms a verdigris and cryftals of 

 Venus. With lead it forms cerutfe, and fait or fugar of 

 lead ; difiblving it more eafily when reduced to a calx than 

 in its metallic (late ; boiled even with the glafs of lead, or 

 in the common glazed earthen veffels, in the glazing of 

 which this metal is a principal ingredient, it extrafts fo 

 much as to become ftrongly tainted with the pernicious qua- 

 lities of the lead. Gold, platina, filver, and quickfilver, are 

 not affefted by vinegar in their metalhc ftate ; the two firft 

 have not been obferved in any ftate to be affefted by it. 

 Silver precipitated from the nitrous acid, and thoroughly 

 edulcorated with water, and mercury treated in the fame 

 manner, or changed by fire into a red powder, flowly and 

 fparingly diflblve in it. Of the affinities of this acid to dif- 

 ferent metals, or its forfaking one to unite with another, 

 few experiments have been made. Dr. Lewis obferves, 

 that it depofits lead and copper upon adding iron. ( See 

 Tables of Affinity.) It diffolves the vegetable infpilfated 

 juices, and feveral of the gummy refins, and extrafts the 

 virtues of fundry plants in tolerable perfeAion, fuperadding 

 at the fame time a virtue of a different kind. However, it 

 excellently affifts and coincides with fome drugs, as garlic, 

 fquills, and ammoniacum ; and in many cafes, where this 

 acid is principally to be depended upon, it may be advan- 

 tageoufly impregnated with the flavour of certain vegetables. 

 Vinegar very much concentrated, as the reftified fpirit of 

 Venus, or radical vinegar, being diftilled with equal parts 

 of highly redified fpirit of wine, furnifhes a liquor which 

 has all the elTential charafters of ether, and is called acetous 

 ether. It was difcovered by the count de Lauraguais. 

 (See Hift. Acad. Scienc. Par. 1759.) It mingles equally 

 with blood and its ferum, and with moft of the fluids of 

 animals ; not thickening or coagulating them, like the atids 



