172 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
rature of 15° C., which may usually be done without any loss of time. How¬ 
ever, a table of corrections for temperatures is given to meet exceptional 
cases. The following abridged Table will show both the correction for tem¬ 
perature and that needful to bring the instrument into accord with the results 
of distillation:— 
Table of Corrections. 
Tenths of a De¬ 
gree to sub¬ 
tract to agree 
with Distilla¬ 
tion. 
Degree 
found by 
Liquo¬ 
metre. 
Tenths of a Degree to add for tempera¬ 
tures below 15° C., or to subtract if 
above 15° C. 
T 
1 
0 
0 
1 
1 
2 
•25 
4 
0 
0 
1 
2 
2 
•4 
7 
0 
0 
2 
3 
3 
•55 
10 
0 
1 
2 
4 
5 
•80 
13 
1 
2 
4 
5 
6 
1-0 
15 
1 
2 
4 
6 
8 
Degrees of temperature 
above or below 15° C. 
1° 
3° 
5° 
7° 
9° 
Example .—If the thermometer gives 18° C. as the temperature of the wine 
to be tested, being 3° above the mean temperature for experiment, and the 
liquometre gives 10° as the reading, find the figure 10 in the second column, and 
ascertain what figure is parallel to it in the column standing over 3°. This is 
1, and consequently '1 is deducted, leaving 9‘90°. To bring this into accord 
with the results of distillation, it is needful to deduct the figure from the first 
column, which corresponds with 10° reading of the liquometre,—this is - 55° ; 
the result is 9-35° of alcoholic strength. 
MM. Musculus, Valson, et C ie do not claim for their little invention the 
power of giving the strength of saccharine wines or viscid liquors, such as beer, 
although they hold out hopes of soon producing an instrument that will ac¬ 
complish these objects also. For pure alcoholic liquors and for most French 
wines, the inventors distinctly claim a preference for their method over all 
others, on the ground of readiness and exactitude. 
Mr. Reynolds said that he had felt it proper to bring this little apparatus under the 
notice of the Conference, from believing strongly in the importance of physical methods 
of testing as ready substitutes for chemical operations. In the present instance, it was 
not very easy to reply at once to the query which the pharmaceutist would put, cui 
bono ? The instrument gave correct results with water, claret, whisky, and diluted 
alcohol of known strength, but it must be confessed that the hydrometer supplied to the 
pharmaceutist a more ready means of ascertaining the strength of purely alcoholic fluids. 
Then, for tinctures, many of which contained viscid matters in varying quantities, the 
instrument was inapplicable. The present utility of the liquometre appeared to apply 
to light wines chiefly. Possibly fixed oils would give results of some value, but the im¬ 
portant point seemed to be that the principle of capillary action should not be lost sight 
of by practical physicists, now that a great degree of success had attended its introduc¬ 
tion in a particular direction. 
Mr. Brough expressed much interest in the subject, and approval of the attempt to 
extend physical investigations. He referred to Mr. Tomlinson’s results upon the subject 
of cohesion-figures as showing what might be done. 
Professor Attfield remarked that in some French works there were given tables of 
adhesion, cohesion, and efflux, and he fully concurred in the opinion, that these physical 
conditions deserved more precise study than they had received. 
Other members made some remarks upon the subject. 
