and the Method of making Wines . 443 
A phenomenon, which has struck and embarrassed the 
numerous authors who have spoken of the diseases of 
wine, is what is called the flowers of wine. These are 
formed in casks, but particularly in bottles, in which they 
occupy the neck ; they constantly announce and precede 
the acid degeneration of wine. They manifest themselves 
in almost all fermented liquors, and always more or less 
abundantly according to the quantity of extractive matter 
existing in the liquor. I have seen them formed in such 
abundance, in a fermented mixture of molasses and the 
yeast of beer, that they precipitated themselves in the 
liquor in pellicles, or numerous and successive strata. In 
this manner, I have obtained twenty strata. 
These flowers, which I at first took for a precipitate of 
tartar, is, in my opinion, a vegetation, or real byssus , 
which belongs to that fermented substance. It is reduced 
almost to nothing by desiccation, and by analysis exhibits 
only a little hydrogen and a great deal of carbon. 
All these rudiments or commencements of vegetation, 
which develope themselves in all cases where an organic 
matter is decomposed, ought not, in my opinion, to be 
classed with perfect plants : they are not susceptible of 
reproduction, and are only a symmetric arrangement of 
the molecule of the matter, which seems rather directed 
by the simple laws of affinity than those of life. Similar 
phenomena are observed in all decompositions of organic 
beings. 
In the years 1791 and 1792, the whole product of the 
vintage was altered at the commencement by an acrid, 
nauseous odour, which went off after a long- continued 
fermentation. This effect was owing to an enormous 
quantity of tree-bugs, ( punaises de hois ,) which had set- 
tied on the grapes, and which had been crushed in tread - 
ing them, 
