ALCOHOL.

23

Groning undertook this investigation in order to employ the thermometer as an alco-holmeter in the distillation of spirits; for which purpose he thrust the bulb of the ther-mometer through a cork, inserted into a tube fixed in the capital of the still. The state ofthe barometer ought also to he considered in making comparative experiments of thiskind. Since, by this method, the alcoholic content may he compared with the tempera-ture of the vapor that passes over at any time, so, also, the contents of the whole distil-lation may be found approximately; and the method serves as a convenient means ofmaking continual observations on the progress of the distillation.

The temperature, corresponding to a certain per centage of alcohol in vapor, suggeststhe employment of a convenient method for obtaining, at one process, a spirit as free fromwater as it can be made by mere distillation. We place over the top of the capital awater-bath, and lead up through it a spiral pipe from the still, which there passes oblique-ly downwards, and proceeds to the refrigeratory. If this bath be maintained, by a constantinflux of cold water, at a certain temperature, only the alcoholic vapor corresponding tothat temperature will pass over, and the rest will be recondensed and returned into thestill. If we keep the temperature of the water at 174°, for example, the spirituous va-por which passes over will contain 90 per cent, of absolute alcohol, according Wthepreceding table. The skilful use of this principle constitutes the main improvement inmodern distilleries. See Distillation and Still.

Another method for concentrating alcohol is that discovered by Sommering, foundedupon the property of ox bladders to allow water to pass through and evaporate out ofthem, but not to permit alcohol to transpire, or only in a slight degree. Hence, if anox’s bladder is filled with spirit of wine, well tied at the mouth, and suspended in a warmplace, the water will continually exhale, and the alcohol will become nearly anhydrous;for in this way alcohol of 97 or 98 per cent, may be obtained.

According to Sommering, we should take for this purpose the bladder of an ox or a calf,soak it for some time in water, then inflate it and free it from the fat and the attachedyessels; which is to be also done to the other surface, by turning it inside out. After itts again inflated and dried, we must smear over the outer side twice, and the inner side fourumes, with a solution of isinglass, by which its texture is made closer, and the concen-tration of the alcohol goes on better. A bladder so prepared may serve more than ahundred limes. It must be charged with the spirits to be concentrated, leaving a small spacevacant; it is then to be tightly bound at the mouth, and suspended in a warm situation,a temperature of 122° Talir., over a sand-bath, or in the neighborhood of an oven.ie surface of the bladder remains moist with the water, as long as the sp.'gr. of thebut •** f spirit is greater than 0-952. Weak spirit loses its water quicker than strong;

1 * r om ® t° 12 hours the alcohol may be concentrated, when a suitable heat is em-Drena ' b ’ s economical method is particularly applicable in obtaining alcohol for thefreed h ' 1 °v varnishes. When the alcohol is to serve for other purposes, it must beiikew" ^ ? lstl " at * on > f ronl certain matters dissolved out of the bladder. Alcohol maythe sn^'t • , stren gthened, as Sommering has ascertained, when the vessel that containsTh ls bound °ver with a bladder which does not come into contact with the liquid.

us, too, all other liquors containing alcohol and water, as wine, cider, &c., may bemade more spirituous.

it t ° procure absolute alcohol, we must take chloride of calcium recently fused, reducein a h°oi Se powder > and mix it with its own weight of spirit of wine, of sp. gr 0-833The clear’ is . t0 b ® wel1 sto Ppered, and t0 be agitated till the salt is dissolved,

employed or s* 0 " ‘ S ,‘° be E° Ur ?7 ° a "5 and half of the volume of the alcoholgentle heat gr ‘ °' 7 91 at 68 ° Fahr -> * to be distilled off at a

powerful and convenient Alcohol 6611 e ® p J,°y ed b)r the same purpose, but it is lessdistillation, by addin" drv'carho t ^ ? ear ^ f fee from water, may be obtained withoutWa ter combinLIvK^potash an e d°f iTf W Spidt ° f wine, of sp. gr. 0825. Thespirit floats on the snrfanp ana to tbe bottom in a dense liquid, while the pureseparated by distillation * lblS conta * ns > however, a little alkali, which can only be

ox ygen. 1 * S com P ose( ^ by weight of 52-66 carbon, 12*90 hydrogen, and 34*44

phere; thereforp it & Yei ^., P° Wer ful attraction for water, and absorbs it from the atmos-mal bodies of their , be * n well-closed vessels. It also robs vegetable and ani-tomical preparation^ 015 ! 1 ^:! bence comm °n alcohol is employed for preserving ana-camphor, are abunrianti ? 1 1S j. a so ! vent ** or many substances: resins, essential oils,

solution of a resin n ^ hissolved by it, forming varnishes, perfumed spirits, &c. Thewhich, by its attractin' ^ sseatla * alcohol becomes milky on the addition of water,

the deliquescent arp J}. lor a k°b°l, separates these substances. Several salts, especiallythe solutions of the saltff 6 ^ • ^ anc ^ some °f them give a color to its flame; thus,per and borax green u,*, 01 ® tr . oatia in alcohol burn with a crimson flame, those of cop-

When water is S Wh^ a 7 ndba ^ ta ^ow.

in alcohol, heat and a condensation of volume are the result;