Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ]^ 
Nov.  1875.  } 
Rectified  Spirit. 
proportion  and  admixture,  that  the  distinctive  flavor  of  different  liquors 
depends,  which  are  so  highly  esteemed  amongst  connoisseurs,  and  for 
which  such  almost  fabulous  prices  are  often  paid.  Age,  no  doubt, 
alters  a  small  portion  of  the  fusel  oil,  but  the  greater  portion  remains, 
being  much  less  volatile  than  the  spirit.  Considerable  obscurity  is,  in 
fact,  still  attached  to  the  changes  which  occur  in  liquors  as  a  result  of 
age.  It  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose,  however,  that  these  are  all  due  to 
a  very  slow  and  gradual  oxidation,  resulting  in  the  formation  of  an  ex- 
tensive series  of  complex  ethers.  In  an  able  paper  read  before  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association  in  1864,  Prof.  Maisch  states 
that  he  regards  the  determination  of  the  amount  of  acetic  acid  as  a 
good  means  for  ascertaining  approximately  the  age  of  brandy  and  whisky, 
having  found  it  to  increase  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  years  during 
which  the  liquor  had  been  stored.  Butyric  and  valerianic  acids,  the 
latter  formed  by  the  oxidation  of  amylic  alcohol,  are  also  frequently 
present  in  distilled  spirits.  Propylic,  butyric,  amylic,  capronylic,  oen- 
anthylic  and  other  alcohols  have  been  recognized  in  different  varieties 
of  fusel  oil,  justifying  the  common  acceptation  of  this  term  as  a  gen- 
eric rather  than  as  a  specific  name.  Very  probably,  minute  traces  ot 
the  entire  series  of  these  alcohols  form  odorous  and  fragrant  ethers 
with  the  acids  named  above  and  perhaps  also  others,  and  thus  give  ori- 
gin to  those  highly-prized  spirituous  bouquets.  It  is  well  known  that 
an  elevated  temperature  expedites  these  changes,  so  that  whiskies  are 
now  almost  universally  stored  in  heated  warehouses,  whereby  the  time 
requisite  for  their  proper  ripening  or  "  mellowing  down  "  is  reduced  to 
a  moiety.  Yet,  after  all,  it  is  the  much-decried  fusel  oil  and  its  deriv- 
atives on  which  the  true  flavor  depends.  When  this  is  all  removed, 
there  is  left  simply  rectified  spirit,  no  matter  how  old  or  how  valuable 
the  liquor  was  previously. 
The  high  therapeutic  value  of  alcohol  in  disease  is  disputed  by  none, 
unless  it  be  a  small  band  of  total  abstinence  fanatics,  who  strive,  as 
Prof.  Stille  expresses  it,  for  a  cause  intrinsically  good,  but  sadly  injured 
by  its  too  zealous  advocates.  But  it  remains  yet  to  be  established  that 
the  medical  virtue  of  spirit  is  increased  or  enhanced  to  the  smallest  de- 
gree by  the  costly  flavors  which  characterize  the  choicest  Cognac,  the 
most  indubitable  Jamaica  rum,  or  the  most  renowned  rye  and  Bourbon. 
If  fusel  oil  deserves  but  a  tithe  of  the  opprobrium  constantly  heaped 
upon  it,  we  are  bound  to  admit  that  the  more  perfectly  it  is  eliminated 
from  any  spirituous  liquor,  the  more  suitable  such  spirit  is  for  exhibi- 
