On Wine . 
501 
Alcohol is pure spirit of wine. M. Fabroni, an Italian chemist, 
being unable to detect alcohol in wine by any process previous 
to distillation, was of opinion that the alcohol procured from wine, 
was formed in it during distillation. Mr. Brande’s experiments 
tend to an opposite conclusion ; and seem to prove, that all the ah 
cohol produced by distilling wine, existed as alcohol in the wine 
previous to distillation. On this point, I am careless who is 
wrong, and who is right, although I have no doubt that alcohol 
in beer is formed from the Fecula, and in grape-juice from the sac- 
charine part, during fermentation. 
But in the course of these experiments, made on upwards of 
fifty different kinds of foreign and home-made vinous liquors, of 
the very best and purest quality that could be procured, and ac« 
cording to all evidence, free from adulteration, Mr. Brande pro- 
cured as follows : — ■ 
Of alcohol or pure spirit of wine 
Rum 
53, 68 per cent. 
Brandy 
53, 39* 
Holland’s Gin 
51, 60 
Marsala wine 
17, 26 to 25, 87 
Port wine 
21, 40 to 25, 83 
Sherry 
18, 25 to 19, 83 
Madeira wine 
24, 42 
Claret 
12, 91 to 16, 32 
Tokay 
9, 88 
Hock 
8, 88 
Raisin wine 
25, 77 
Currant wine 
20, 55 
From this table it appears, that Rum, Brandy and Hollands*, 
consist of about half spirit of wine or alcohol, and half water. 
That Madeira, Port, Sherry and Marsala, consist of about one 
fourth spirit or alcohol, and the rest, the vinous liquor with which 
the spirit is combined. Hence it follows, that every man who 
drinks a bottle of Madeira or Marsala, drinks about a pint of 
strong brandy. Now, any man who beside his porter, or brandy 
and water at dinner, will sit down to drink in the course of two or 
three hours, an additional quantity of a pint of brandy mixt with 
a pint of water, would be regarded as very careless both of his 
health and his intellect, yet, this is the case with every man who 
swallows his bottle of any of these strong wines. That the di- 
gestion is injured, and that the mental capacity is injured, that 
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