( 1138 ) wii- Na/mes of the Wines, Malt and Spirituous lAquors, and the proportion of Alcohol {specific gravity 0-825) in one hvMdrcd parts of these liquids by measure. Xeres or Sherry (average) . . 19-17 Teneriife 19-79 Lackryma Ohristi . . . .19-70 Confltantia (white) .... 19-75 do. (red) .... 18-92 Lisbon 18-94 Cape Muscat 18-25 Roussillon (average) . . . 18-13 Malaga . . . . . . 17-26 Hermitage (white) . . . .17-43 Malmsey Madeira .... 16-40 Limel 15-52 Bordeaux Wine or Claret (average) 15-10 Sauternc 14-22 Burgundy (average) . . . 14-57 Nice 14-63 Champagne (still) .... 13-80 do. (sparkling) . . . 12-61 Red Hermitage .... 12-32 Vin de Grave .... 13.37 Frontignac 12-89 Cote Rotie 12-32 Rhenish Wine (average) . . 12-08 Tokay 9-88 Grooseberry Wine . . . .11-84 Cider (highest average) . . . 9-87 do. (lowest average) . . 5-21 Mead 7-32 Ale (average) 6-87 Brown Stout 6-80 Porter (average) .... 4-20 Small Beer 1-28 Brandy 53-39 Rum 53-68 Gin 51-60 Whisky 54-32 Irish Whiskj-^ .... 5390 The action of wines upon the animal economy depends principally upon the quantity of alco- hol they contain. However, a certain given quantity of wine does not act in the same way as a mixture of alcohol and water in the same proportions ; and certain wines j-ielding on distillation very nearly the same pro- portion of alcohol do not inebriate with the same facility. This difference must be ascribed to the various kinds of combinations in which alcohol exists in these complex products. Wines, Analysis of.— The foUowing re- marks on this subject are drawn from the admirable South Kensington M-useum Hand- book on " Food," by Professor Church. "When the sugary juice of any fruit is left to itself for a time at a moderately warm temperature, the change known as fermentation occurs. This fermentation is generally brought about by the growth of a low form of vegetable life — an organised ferment. It consists of a splitting up of the sugar present in the liquid (or at least of a large part of it) into alcohol, which remains in the liquid, and carbonic acid gas, which escapes more or less completely. "Although the fermented juice of aU fruits may be regarded as wine, yet the term is gene- rally limited to the alcoholic liquor prepared from the grape. But we have in Englarnd at Icaat two familiar native wines — perry or pear wine, and cider or apple wine. Other so-called British vsdnes are usually made-up or compound liquors, into which a large quantity of cane or beet sugai- has been introduced. They cannot be regarded as true wiaes, nor are they generally wholesome.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

( 1138 ) wii- NNames of the Wines, Malt and Spirituous Liquors, and the proportion of Alcohol {specific gravity 0-825) in one hundred parts of these liquids by measure. Xeres or Sherry (average) . . 19-17 Teneriife 19-79 Lackryma Ohristi . . . .19-70 Confltantia (white) .... 19-75 do. (red) .... 18-92 Lisbon 18-94 Cape Muscat 18-25 Roussillon (average) . . . 18-13 Malaga . . . . . . 17-26 Hermitage (white) . . . .17-43 Malmsey Madeira .... 16-40 Limei 15-52 Bordeaux Wine or Claret (average) 15-10 Sauternc 14-22 Burgundy (average) . . . 14-57 Nice 14-63 Champagne (still) .... 13-80 do. (sparkling) . . . 12-61 Red Hermitage .... 12-32 Vin de Grave .... 13.37 Frontignac 12-89 Côte Rotie 12-32 Rhenish Wine (average) . . 12-08 Tokay 9-88 Gooseberry Wine . . . .11-84 Cider (highest average) . . . 9-87 do. (lowest average) . . 5-21 Mead 7-32 Ale (average) 6-87 Brown Stout 6-80 Porter (average) .... 4-20 Small Beer 1-28 Brandy 53-39 Rum 53-68 Gin 51-60 Whisky 54-32 Irish Whisky .... 5390 The action of wines upon the animal economy depends principally upon the quantity of alcohol they contain. However, a certain given quantity of wine does not act in the same way as a mixture of alcohol and water in the same proportions ; and certain wines j-ielding on distillation very nearly the same proportion of alcohol do not inebriate with the same facility. This difference must be ascribed to the various kinds of combinations in which alcohol exists in these complex products. Wines, Analysis of.— The following remarks on this subject are drawn from the admirable South Kensington M-useum Handbook on " Food," by Professor Church. "When the sugary juice of any fruit is left to itself for a time at a moderately warm temperature, the change known as fermentation occurs. This fermentation is generally brought about by the growth of a low form of vegetable life — an organised ferment. It consists of a splitting up of the sugar present in the liquid (or at least of a large part of it) into alcohol, which remains in the liquid, and carbonic acid gas, which escapes more or less completely. "Although the fermented juice of aU fruits may be regarded as wine, yet the term is generally limited to the alcoholic liquor prepared from the grape. But we have in England at Icaat two familiar native wines — perry or pear wine, and cider or apple wine. Other so-called British vsdnes are usually made-up or compound liquors, into which a large quantity of cane or beet sugar has been introduced. They cannot be regarded as true wiaes, nor are they generally wholesome.

Cassell's dictionary of cookery