ALCOHOL. 
drogen, two of carbon, and one of oxygen. Sugar 
consists of exactly the same elements, but in 
different numbers of atoms; and when resolved 
into these elements by the process of fermenta- 
tion, all the hydrogen, two-thirds of the carbon, 
and one-third of the oxygen, of every nine atoms 
of the sugar reunite to form alcohol, while the 
remaining atom of carbon and two atoms of oxy- 
gen unite to form carbonic acid, and disappear in 
impalpable and invisible gas. An obvious infer- 
ence is, that beet-root, carrot, potato, rice, or 
any other vegetable which naturally contains 
sugar, may, by subjection to fermentation, or to 
similar processes as malted and distilled barley, 
| be made to produce alcoholic liquors. But the 
grand use which the farmer ought to make of 
the fact, is sedulously to guard against any sac- 
| charine substance running spontaneously or 
| through negligent treatment into fermentation, 
| aware that if it do, all its highly nourishing 
sugar will be destroyed, one part of it to mingle 
| gaseously with the atmosphere, and another part 
to become a useless, disgusting, and perhaps 
| noxious liquid. 
Alcohol, nearly free from water or other inter- 
mixture, is a limpid, colourless liquid, with a 
strongly spirituous smell, and an exceedingly 
| pungent taste. It does not freeze at a tempera- 
ture 123° below the freezing point of water, nor 
‘possibly at a considerably lower temperature ; 
| it is exceedingly volatile, and very considerably 
| cools the portion of air into which it evaporates ; 
it suffers a greater degree of expansion from heat 
| than water does; it burns with a lambent flame, 
yielding no smoke and little light, but intense 
heat ; and it mixes readily and in any proportion 
with water, and gives out heat during the pro- 
cess of commixation. Alcohol dissolves resins 
and many similar substances which are unaf- 
fected by water, and these solutions are termed 
spirit-varnishes ; it draws out and dissolves the 
extractive matter in seeds, roots, and other parts 
of vegetables, and hence is extensively used in 
the preparation of tinctures; it dissolves with 
great facility, and holds retentively in solution, 
camphor, and all the essential oils ; it combines 
with sulphur and phosphorus; it forms a large 
and important material in the preparation of 
various kinds of ether; and it dissolves am- 
moniacal gas, soap, sugar, and various acids, as 
the tartaric, the benzoic, the gallic, and the oxa- 
lic. Partly on account of these extensive sol- 
vent powers, and partly for sake of various in- 
fluences which it exerts, and offices which it 
performs as a chemical reagent, and a modifier 
of chemical affinity, it is very extensively em- 
ployed by the varnish-maker, the perfumer, the 
adulterator of wines, the commercial chemist, 
the druggist, and the apothecary. 
The general effect of all wines and distilled 
drinks is to stimulate and excite the energies of 
the system, and, in larger quantities, to produce 
intoxication, and consequent debility and de- 
/ 
rangement of all the functions. This property, 
which is common to them all, depends upon the 
alcohol or pure spirit which they contain. By 
it the faculties of the mind, as well as the func- 
tions of the body, are at first roused into more 
vigorous exertion ;—the blood is made to cir- 
culate with greater rapidity, an agreeable glow 
is diffused over the whole frame, the senses are | 
enlivened, the passions awakened, the imagina- 
tion becomes sportive, and joy and gladness fill 
the soul. But this agreeable paroxysm soon 
passes away; and the mind and body are left in 
a greater state of depression and languor than 
before. We speak not here of the last stage of 
brutal intoxication, nor the series of degrading 
symptoms which mark its progress,—as vertigo, 
maniacal fury, or fatuous delirium, faltering 
tongue, tottering limbs, apoplectic insensibility ! 
—death itself! It is enough to observe, that the 
habitual abuse of intoxicating drinks, even within 
the limits of what is commonly deemed sobriety, 
is equally destructive to the health of body and 
mind ; and that a frightful catalogue of diseases, 
gout, apoplexy, and palsy, madness and fatuity, 
are commonly the consequences of greater ex- 
cesses. As powerful stimuli, ardent spirits are, 
in some cases of languor and debility, advan- 
tageously employed ; but their properties ill fit 
them for common and habitual use. Nothing is 
more pernicious than the practice of drinking 
spirits. It is a common enough belief, that a 
dram after meals promotes digestion ; but there 
cannot be a more erroneous opinion. ‘Those, in- 
deed, who have acquired this pernicious habit, 
may find that, without their usual stimulus, di- 
gestion goes tardily on. But this only bespeaks 
the infirm and diseased state to which the stom- 
ach has been reduced. For the digestion of the 
healthy and unaccustomed is sure to be inter- 
rupted and retarded by adram. Common obser- 
vation may satisfy us of this. But the question 
has been submitted to direct experiment by Dr. 
Beddoes, and he found that the animals to whom | 
spirits had been given along with their food, had | 
digested nearly one-half less, than other similar | 
animals from whom this stimulus had been with- | 
held. Who, indeed, are so subject to stomach | 
complaints as dram drinkers? They are not only 
the most liable to ordinary and occasional stom- 
ach complaints, but too commonly to permanent | 
and incurable diseases of that important organ. | 
The stimulant and intoxicating properties of | 
vinous and fermented liquors also depend upon 
the alcohol, or pure spirit which they contain ; 
when used to excess, they are therefore liable to 
all the objections we have urged against the 
abuse of distilled spirits. But, as in the fer- 
mented vinous liquors, the alcohol is not only 
much diluted, but in a peculiar state of com- 
bination with other principles, with the vege- 
table acids, sugar, mucilage, and extractive mat- 
ter, they are much less destructive and perni- 
cious than any of the distilled drinks. They 
