ALC 
mitted and reported many other similar 
tales concerning the extraordinary powers 
and virtues of this bird ; but it is needless to 
recite them. Its flesh has the odour of musk, 
and is unpalatable. Plate II. Aves, fig. 4. 
ALCHEMY, that branch of chemistry 
which had for its principal objects the trans- 
mutation of all the metals into gold; the 
panacea, or universal remedy for all diseases ; 
and the alkahest, or universal menstruum. 
Those who pursued these delusive projects 
gradually assumed the form of a sect, under 
the name of Alchemists, a term made up of 
the word chemist, and the Arabian article 
ai as a prefix. The alchemists laid it down 
as a first principle, that all metals are com- 
posed of the same ingredients, or that the 
substances at least which compose gold 
exist in all metals, and are capable of being 
obtained from them. The great object of 
their researches was to convert the baser 
metals into gold. The substance which pro- 
duced this property they called lapis philo- 
sophorum, “ tire philosophers’ stone and 
many of them boasted that they were in 
possession of that grand instrument. The 
alchemists were established in the west ot 
Europe as early as the ninth century ; but 
between the eleventh and fifteenth alchemy 
was in its most flourishing state. The prin- 
cipal alchemists were Albertus Magnus, 
Roger Bacon, Arnoldus de Villa Nova, 
Raymond Lully, and the two Isaacs of 
Holland. 
ALCHIMILLA, or Alchemilla, ladies' 
mantle, in botany, a genus of the Tetrandria 
Monogynia class of plants, the calyx of which 
is a single-leafed perianthium : there is no 
corolla, nor any pericarpium; the cup finally 
becomes a capsule, containing a single ellip- 
tical and compressed seed. There are four 
species. A. vulgaris, common ladies’ mantle, 
or beanfoot, is frequent in meadows and 
pastures in England. It is perennial, and 
flowers in June and July. Horses, sheep, 
and goats eat it. The great richness of the 
milk in the celebrated dairies of the Alps 
is attributed to the plenty of this plant, and 
that of the rib wort plantain. The plant is 
astringent, and in Gothland and other 
places a tincture of its leaves is given in 
spasmodic and convulsive cases. A. alpina, 
cinquefoil, or alpine ladies’ mantle, grows 
naturally in the North of England, North 
Wales, and in the Highlands of Scotland. 
It is a native of the northern parts of Eu- 
rope, and is admitted into the gardens on 
account of its elegance. The A. pentaphyl- 
lea grows naturally on the Alps, and is 
found in the botanical gardens in this couu- 
ALC 
try : it may be propagated by parting the 
roots in autumn. They should have a moist 
soil, and a shady situation. 
ALCHORNEA, in botany, a genus of 
the Monadelphia Octandria class and order, 
of which there is but a single species, Male, 
calyx three, five-leaved ; corolla none : fe- 
male, calyx five-toothed; corolla none; 
styles two-parted. 
ALCOHOL, a term applied by chemists 
to the purely spirituous part of liquors that 
have undergone the vinous fermentation. 
It is in all cases the product of the saccha- 
rine principle, and is formed by the succes- 
sive processes of vinous fermentation and 
distillation. Various kinds of ardent spirits 
are known in commerce, as brandy, rum, 
&c. ; but they differ in colour, taste, smell, 
&c. The spirituous part, however, is the 
same in each, and may be procured in its 
purest state by a second distillation, which 
is termed rectification. See Distillation, 
Fermentation, and Rectification. Al- 
cohol is procured most largely in this coun- 
try from a fermented grain-liquor; but in 
France and other wine countries, the spirit 
is obtained from the distillation of wine, 
hence the term spirit of wine. See Bran- 
dy. Alcohol is a colourless, transparent 
liquor, appearing to the eye like pure 
water. It possesses a peculiar penetrating 
smell, distinct from the proper odour of the 
distilled spirit from which it is procured. 
To the taste it is excessively hot and burn- 
ing ; but without any peculiar flavour. From 
its lightness, the bubbles which are formed 
by shaking subside almost instantaneously, 
which is one method of judging of its purity. 
Alcohol may be volatilized by the heat of 
the hand. It is converted into vapour at 
the temperature of 55° of Fahrenheit, and 
it boils at 165°. It has never been frozen 
by any degree of cold, natural or artificial, 
and on this account it has been much used 
in the construction of thermometers. Alco- 
hol mixes with water in all proportions, and 
during the mixture heat is extricated, which 
is sensible to the hand. At the same time 
there is a mutual penetration of the parts, 
so that the bulk of the two liquors when 
mixed is less than when separate : conse- 
quently the specific gravity of the mixture 
is greater than the mean specific gravity of 
the two liquors taken apart. Alcohol is 
supposed to consist of 
Carbon 28.53 
Hydrogen 7.87 
Water... 63-6 
100.0(1 
