262 
ALCOHOL IN FERMENTED LIQUORS. 
pate of alco- or carbonic acid evolved, which in the experiments alluded to, 
cd liquors, Upon such grounds I ventured to conclude, 
that the relative quantity of alcohol in wines, might be esti- 
mated by submitting them to a careful distillatinn, and by as- 
certaining the specific gravity of the distilled liquor with the 
precautions which 1 have formerly described. 
This conclusion may be objected to, by supposing that the 
lowest temperature, at which the distillations w'ere performed, 
was sufficient for the formation of alcohol from the elements 
existing in the w’ine ; but it is not easy to conceive how this 
should happen, without some of those other changes which I 
have just noticed. 
It has been stated, in my former paper, that the separation 
, of alcohol from wine, by the addition of subcarbonate of pot- 
ash, is prevented by the combination of the alkaline salt with 
the colouring-extractive, and acid contained in the liquor, I 
have also shortly noticed some unsuccessful attempts to sepa- 
rate these substances by other means than distillation. 
In prosecuting the inquiry, this difficulty has been sur- 
mounted, and I shall proceed to shew, that alcohol may be 
separated from wine without the intervention of heat, and that 
the proportion thus afforded is equal to that yielded by distil- 
lation. 
When the acetate*’, or subacetatef of lead, or the subnitrate 
of tinj are added to wine, a dense insoluble precipitate is 
quickly formed, consisting of a combination of the metallic 
oxide, with the acid and colouring-extractive matter of the 
wine, and when this is separated by filtration, a colourless 
fluid is obtained, containing alcohol, water, and a portion of 
• Sugar of lead. 
f Formed by boiling two parts of sugar of lead with one of finely 
powdered litharge, in six parts of water. The solution should he pre- 
served in well closed phials, as it is rapidly decomposed by attracting 
carbonic acid from the atmosphere. Even while hot, a portion of car- 
bonate of lead is formed in it. 
t Prepared by dissolving protoxide of tin in cold dilute nitric acid. 
the 
