[ S6o ] 



relates a fingular cafe, communicated to him by 

 the Prefident himfelf. 



139. Spiritus Frumenti. P, Bergius. 1764. 



The Arabians have the credit of inventing the 

 alembic, and the diftillation of ardent fpirits ; which 

 they are faid to have nfed principally, if not at 

 firft entirely, as folvents only, to extrad the vir- 

 tues of fimples, and exhibit them in the form of 

 tindures. Our author obferves from Raymond 

 Lilly ^ that they were unknown in Europe at the 

 commencement of the 14th century-, but the dif- 

 tillation of fpirit from fermented grain is attributed to 

 Arnoldus de Villa Nova^ about the year 1 3 1 5. Soon 

 after this time Brandy was made in Sicily^ firft from 

 fpoiled grapes, and very early became an article 

 of great commerce at Venice, 



Having enumerated the properties of this in- 

 flammable fluid from Boerhaave\ chemiftry, and 

 defcribed a method of preparing the grain for dif- 

 tillation, as pradifed in Sweden^ which is different 

 from ours, the author difcuffes the falutary effedls 

 of Spirits^ medicinally taken, as analeptic, diuretic, 

 cordial, and flomachic \ under all which heads, 

 he lays down appofite rules for their ufe. Diluted 

 with coffee, he recommends brandy as a diuretic 

 in calculous cafes. He much prefers it to wine, 

 as a prefervative againft contagious dyfentenes \ 

 and afTerts, that this was clearly proved among 

 the feamen of the Swedifh fleet, in the expedition of 

 1742c He then confiders the imprudent ufe of it 5 

 and, from its power in coagulating the fluids and indu- 

 rating 



