: s Pi

SPI ( 337 )

• adularia, accompanied by 'mica and magneticpyrites. It is found in Pegu and the ifland ofCeylon .

Spinelle ranks among the gems ; and • iscalled by different names among the jewellers,according to the tone of its colour. The purebright red is called Spinelle, and is the moltefteemed, its value when exceeding 4 carats inweight, being half that of a diamond of equalweight; the orange red variety is called Ver-meille, or Rubicelle; and the lofe red is calledBalais or Balafs ruby. The oriental ruby is avariety of Telesia.

■ SPINTHERE.

The colour of this mineral is greeniffi. Itoccurs cryftallized in irregular dodecahedrons,compofed of a double four-fided pyramid, obli-quely truncated at the apexes. The cryftalsare very fmall and brightly fhining ; the frac-ture is lamellar. Its hardnefs is inferior tothat of glafs; it is tranflucent on the. edges.

It melts before the blowpipe without muchdifficulty. It has not been analyled.

It was difcovered by Hauy implanted incalcareous fpar from Dauphine.

SPIRITS DISTILLED.

Under the articles Fermentation , Brandy, andAlcohol, we have already given a defcription ofthe proceffes by which ardent fpirit is made,and of its chemical properties ; we {hall there-fore in this place only mention a few circum-ftances in the preparation of corn-fpirits andrum.

The greater part of the common fpirituousliquors confumed in this and other countries ofEurope where the vine does not grow, is pre-pared from fermented corn of one kind orother, mixed occafionally when it fuits thepurpofe of the diftiller with molaffes, andfometimes with carrots and other fub-faccha-rine vegetables. But when there is no fcarcityof grain, this is by far the greatell, and oftenthe only ingredient.

The fpirit thus procured is rectified for faleby being re-diftilled with juniper-berries, tur-pentine, and many other fubftances to give itthe defired flavour and appearance.

The grain, if barley is ufed, is generally firflrnalted in the ufual manner, and in Scotland isdried with peat, the fmoke of which gives thatpeculiar flavour which is found in whisk y, thefpirit diddled from it. It is then ground tocoarle powder, maflied, and the infufion fer-mented with yeaft in large tuns. In this Hateit is a ftrong ale., and differs fron-i the malt-

V-DL. II.

liquors ufed for drinking, only in'containing' nohops nor any other bitter. This fermented li-quor is called wapj, and is then fit for the firfl:diftillation.

The theory and praCtiee of diftillation hav-ing been deferibed under the articles Alcoholand Brandy, we {hall not here repeat it, exceptto mention that feveral additions are made tothe wa(h with a view either of increafing (as isfuppofed) the yield of fpirit, or of correctingand keeping down the eflential oil derivedfrom the malt which is apt to give it a naufe-ous flavour; or of regulating the boiling withinthe {fill, and preventing it from boiling over orrunning foul ; or of neutralizing the acid gene-rated during the fermentation, which remark-ably leflens the produCt of fpirit. For al! thefepurpofes foap is accounted the bell addition,and large quantities of it are employed for thispurpofe in diftilleries. Others ufc alkalies.

During the diilillation the firfl: fpirit thatcomes over (as in the diilillation of wane) isoily and turbid, and often of a naufeous fla-vour, owing to the oil of the malt which ac-companies it in all thefe changes. The fpiritthen runs clear and continues fo to the laft,but conftantly decreafing in ftrength, becomingmore watery, and therefore of lefs fpecificgravity.

The whole of the fpirit thus obtained is thenagain diftilled or rectified, and in this procefsthe middle runnings from the ftill are receivedapart from the firfl: portion which is too oilyand turbid, and from the latter which is toowatery to come up to the eflablilhed proof. Itis in the rectification alfo that the additionswhich give a peculiar flavour to the fpirit,(fuch as juniper berries, &c.) are made.

The general procefs of the diftillery is Am-ple, and certainly not difficult of managementto enfure a certain degree of fuccefs, fince it iscarried on in the fmall way by hundreds offmall farmers and ignorant perlons in thofe re-mote parts of the ifland which offer the greateftfacility of eluding the excife duties. But inconducting vaft and expenfive works a large{hare of practical fkill is required, and almoftevery diftiller profeffes to have fome peculiarnicety of praCtice in the management of theprocefs or the conftruCtion of the apparatus.

The form of the ftill in particular has under-gone many fucceffive alterations (efpecially inScotland , where the mode of levying the dutyrenders it an objeCt to diftill as faff as poffible)and by gradually widening the bottom andcontracting the height of the boiler, diftillation2 u