ON THE PRESERVATION OF VINEGAR. 
163 
completely filled. Vinegar may be preserved a long time in 
this manner ; nevertheless this is not much used, because per- 
haps, when a portion is taken out the remainder is liable to 
spoil unless the bottle be refilled, for the empty part being 
filled with air, the vinegar soon becomes thick and tasteless. 
The fourth process to preserve vinegar is by distillation ; it 
may thus be preserved many years unaltered by the action of 
either heat or air. But, as this is dear, it does not seem that 
many would adopt this mode, especially when the following 
is known, which is the most easy of all. 
It is sufficient to place vinegar in a well tinned copper, 
and boil it rapidly for a quarter of a minute, and afterwards 
carefully bottle it. If any should suppose that the tinned 
vessel is dangerous for the health, they can put the vinegar in 
one or more bottles, and place these bottles in a boiler full of 
water, and thus expose them to heat over a fire. When the 
water has boiled for a few moments, the bottles are to be with- 
drawn. 
Vinegar thus prepared may be kept for many years with- 
out losing its transparency, or spoiling, either by the free ac- 
cess of air, or in bottles only half full ; it may advantageously 
take the place of common vinegar with pharmaceutists in the 
formation of compound vinegars, as these soon become cloudy, 
and consequently lose all their ascidity, at least when not 
prepared from distilled vinegar. 
Note. — I prepared in the year 1786 a vessel filled with 
very weak cider vinegar, to which I had added two ounces of 
alcohol of 22° Beaume. This vinegar which was at first very 
weak, was not only preserved, but became as strong as the best 
Orleans vinegar, and retained its clearness for many years 
without spoiling, although the neck of the vessel was closed 
with a simple cone of paper. This vinegar was still in exist- 
ence when I quitted the collegeof France, on the occurrence 
of the revolution. 
Jonrn. de Chim. Med. 
