58  ON  THE  DETECTION  OP  METHYLIC  ALCOHOL,  ETC. 
spirits  of  wine  as  will  suffice  to  render  it  liquid  ;  and  in  another 
vessel  dissolve  as  much  isinglass,  previously  a  little  softened  in 
water  (though  none  of  the  water  must  be  used),  in  French  brandy 
or  good  rum,  as  will  make  a  two-ounce  phial  of  very  strong  glue, 
adding  two  small  bits  of  gum  albanum,  or  ammoniacum,  which 
must  be  rubbed  or  ground  till  they  are  dissolved.  Then  mix  the 
whole  with  a  sufficient  heat.  Keep  the  glue  in  a  phial  closely 
stopped,  and  when  it  is  used  set  the  phial  in  boiling  water.  Some 
persons  have  sold  a  composition  under  the  name  of  Armenian 
cement  in  England ;  but  this  composition  is  badly  made ;  it  is 
much  too  thin,  and  the  quantity  of  mastic  is  much  too  small. 
The  following  are  good  proportions ;  Isinglass,  soaked  in  water 
and  dissolved  in  spirit,  two  ounces  (thick) ;  dissolve  in  this  ten 
grains  of  very  pale  gum  ammoniac  (in  tears),  by  rubbing  them 
together  ;  then  add  six  large  tears  of  gum  mastic,  dissolved  in 
the  least  possible  quantity  of  rectified  spirits.  Isinglass,  dis- 
solved in  proof  spirit,  as  above,  three  ounces  ;  bottoms  of  mastic 
varnish  (thick  but  clear),  one  and  a  half  ounces;  mix  well. 
When  carefully  made,  this  cement  resists  moisture  and  dries 
colorless.  As  usually  met  with,  it  is  not  only  of  very  bad 
quality,  but  sold  at  exhorbitant  prices. — Lond.  Chem.  News, 
Nov.  3,  1865,  from  Tinman  s  Manual  and  Sci.  Amer, 
ON  THE  DETECTION  OF  METHYLIC  ALCOHOL  WHEN 
MIXED  WITH  RECTIFIED  SPIRIT  OF  WINE,  AND  OF  DIS- 
TINGUISHING BETWEEN  ETHER  AND  SWEET  SPIRIT  OF 
NITRE  WHEN  PREPARED  FROM  PURE  AND  FROM  ME- 
THYLATED SPIRIT  RESPECTIVELY. 
By  Mr.  W.  Young. 
Aware  of  the  great  interest  taken  at  the  present  moment  in 
the  above  subject,  I  thought  a  few  remarks,  on  a  method  I  have 
adopted  for  some  time  for  detecting  the  presence  of  methylated 
spirit,  might  prove  acceptable  to  your  readers ;  especially  as  not 
much  time  or  trouble  are  involved  in  its  application. 
The  evidence  of  the  presence  of  methylated  spirit  in,  or  hav- 
ing been  used  in  the  preparation  of,  the  above  articles,  is  based 
on  the  change  produced  by  it  in  the  color  of  the  solution  of 
permanganate  of  potash. 
