VINEGAR. 



fiifpefted of adulterauoii, and to i^mpare the quantity of 

 vinegar that has been obliged to be employed before a com- 

 plete faturation could be obtained, with tliat confumed in a 

 fimilar trial made with-vinegar, the good quality of which is 

 well known ; and by evaporating or reducing the fubftance 

 of the folution naarly to drynefs afterward,:, the nature 

 of the material employed may be afcertained. And 

 as to the acrid vegetable fubftances that may have been 

 mixed with it, they may be readily recognized by their 

 tafte, which will be altogether different from that of the 

 vinegar, and which will become the more perceptible, the 

 more the acid has been concentrated or reduced by evapo- 

 ration, or any other means. 



It may be noticed in general, that vinegar which 

 has not been adulterated, or which has not been fpoiled 

 by an incipient decompofition, is readily and eafily 

 known by its penetrating acid tafte, its Iranfparency, 

 and its agreeable fmell, which becomes ftill more developed 

 if fome of the vinegar be rubbed between the hands, or in 

 any other way. 



In fome of thefe modes, vinegar that is fit for ufe in the 

 above intention, and for other purpofes, may be readily 

 known. 



Vinegar is frequently alfo of much utility and advantage 

 as an application in different cafes of bruifcs and flight 

 fwellings, arifing from blows and other accidents among 

 different kinds of hve-ftock or domeftic animals. 



ViN'EGAR of Antimony, is an acid fpirit, befl made by 

 diftillation from the ore of antimony. See Antimony. 



Its ufe is recommended in continued and malignant 

 fevers. 



ViVEGAR, Aromatic, of the Edinb. Ph., is prepared by 

 taking of rofemary tops dried, and fage leaves dried, of each 

 4 oz. ; lavender flowers dried, 2 oz. ; cloves bruifed, 2 dr. ; 

 and diftilled vinegar, 8 lbs. : macerating thefe ingre- 

 dients for feven days, and filtering the expreffed liquor 

 through paper. The odour of this liquid, which is a folu- 

 tion of the volatile oils of the fubftance employed in vinegar, 

 is pleafant, pungent, and aromatic ; and it is a grateful per- 

 fume in fick rooms, but cannot be regarded as a pro- 

 phylaAic from fever, or other contagions. 



The aromatic fpirit of vinegar, originally invented and 

 fucccffively improved by the late ingenious and refpeft- 

 able Mr. Henry of Manchefter, is compofed of highly 

 concentrated vinegar, joined with the moft pleafant aromatic 

 and efficacious antifeptics, and may be kept unimpaired for 

 any length of time, and in any climate. Its fragrant odour 

 adapts it for affording relief in head-aches, faintings, &c. 

 and renders it peculiarly grateful and refrefliing in crowded 

 rooms, places of public refort, and the apartments of the 

 fick. It is alfo faid to counteraft the infeftion of con- 

 tagious difeafes. 



ViN'P.cAR, D'ljl'tlkd, is the fpirituous acid of vinegar ob- 

 tained by diftillation. The procefs of diftilling vinegar is 

 very fimple. A quantity of good ordinary vinegar is put 

 into a large cucurbit or ftill, which ought to be made of 

 ftone-ware, and not of metal, as the acid of vinegar is ca- 

 pable of afting upon moft metals. This cucurbit is funk 

 in a deep furnace, fo that five or fix fingers' breadth only 

 near its neck appear. The neck is to be carefully luted 

 with clay all round the furnace, that the capital may not be 

 heated too much. A capital and a glafs receiver arc then 

 to be fitted, and the dillilktion is to be begun with a very 

 gentle heat. The acid fpirituous liquor paflts by drops into 

 the receiver. This liquor is white, traniparcnt, penetrating, 

 fomewhat empyreumatic, and dif( ngaged from an acid, but 

 not fpirituous fubftance, and alfo from an cxtraftive fapo- 



naceous matter, both which are contained in ordinary 

 vinegar. Tfiefe latter fubftances remain in the ftill with the 

 colouring matter, and form together an extremely acid ex- 

 traft of vinegar. This refiduum contains alfo fome tartar, 

 and by incineration yields much fixed alkali, as all matters 

 bclongmg to vines, grapes, and wine do. 



The thicker vinegar is, the lefs fit it proves for diftil- 

 ation, as there is always the greater danger of an empy- 

 reuma, or burnt fmell, which would fpoil the whole pro- 

 cefs, and as it ufually in this cafe comes over oleaginous. 

 And the pureft white fait of tartar, faturated with this dif- 

 tilled vinegar, being afterwards ignited, turns black, and 

 yields a fmell extremely like that of crude tartar in the cal- 

 cination. Shaw's Chemical Effays. 



On the other -hand, the more the vinegar is diluted im- 

 mediately before diftillation, the lefs danger there is of 

 burning ; and if the thick remaining mafs, when the thinner 

 part is diftilled from it, be again diluted with water, it may, 

 by a fecond diftillation, be brought to afford an acetous 

 fubftance ; though this latter be by no means comparable 

 to this former volatile part. This Vigani juftly fufpe<fts to 

 be a circumftance known but to very few. And even when 

 the vinegar is diftilled with the utmoft labour and care, it ftill 

 has this effeft in a higher degree, and contains an immenfe 

 quantity of phlegm, in proportion to its acid fait. 



In this cafe, the method of condenfation by freezing is of 

 the utmoft fervice ; firft of all feparating the more aqueous 

 part, and in the next place that which is fomewhat acetous, 

 though not comparable to what remains behind ; fo that, 

 by this means, a moft concentrated and fubtle fpirituous dif- 

 tilled vinegar may be produced, t'/z. by freezing the whole 

 parcel of diftilled phlegm and diftilled vinegar together, a 

 thing of great moment to the curious in ihe ckemia fuHlmior, 

 and particularly to thofe who underftand Hollandus. And 

 when the vinegar is froze without diftillation, by this means 

 you have a noble rob, or a rich concentrated vinegar, freed 

 from its diftillatiug aqueous and ufclefs part. Vigani, 

 Medull. Chem. 



The Lond. Ph. direfts the acetic acid to be diftilled 

 from a gallon of vinegar iji a glafs retort, placed in a fand- 

 bath, into a glafs receiver kept cool ; the firft pint to be 

 thrown away, and the fix fucceeding pints which arc dif- 

 tilled to be preferved. The diftilled acetous acid of the 

 Edinb. Ph. is prepared by diftilling 8 lbs. of the acetous 

 acid in glafs veflels, with a gentle heat, rejecting the albs, 

 which firft came over, as being too watery ; and the 4 lbs. 

 that follow will be the diftilled acetous acid : the refidue is 

 a ftronger acid, but too much burnt. The diftilled vinegar of 

 the Dub. Ph. is obtained by taking of wine vinegar ten 

 pints, and diftilling with a gentle heat fix pints : the dif- 

 tillation is to be perfoi-med in a glafs vefTel, and the firft pint 

 which comes over rejefted. The fpecific gravity of this 

 acid is to that of water as 1006 or 10095 *° 1000. (See 

 Acetous Acid.) Darracq has afcertained (Annales de 

 Clumie, xli. 264.) that diftilled vinegar diff'ers from acetic 

 acid, by containing fome uncombined mucilage and ex- 

 iraftivc matter, but that the acids are otherwil'c the fame. 

 To this cxtradive it is owing, that when diftilled vinegar is 

 boilrd with potafs, the folution has a deep rcddidi-brown 

 colour, and during evaporation carbonaceous matter is de- 

 pofited. Sulphuric acid is detefted by a precipitate being 

 produced on the addition of a folution of acetate of barytes ; 

 le.id, by a folution of fulphuretted hydrogen, forming a 

 dark-coloured precipitate ; and copper, by Us allummg a 

 blue colour, when fuperfaturated witii ammonia. 'I'iie 

 medical properties and ufes of diftilkd viiu'gar arc the fame 

 with thofe of common vinegar ; but, bti"g purer, and lefs 



D d 1 hable 



