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Wines, Alcohol In

The quantity of alcohol existing in different wines may be seen from the following table drawn up by Mr. Brande:-- Names 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. Lissa (average). . . . . 25.41 Marsala (average). . . . 25.09 Port (average. . . . . 23.39 Madeira and Red or Burgundy . Madeira (average). . . .22.27 Xeres or Sherry (average). . . 19.17 Teneriffe. . . . . . 19.79 Lachryama Christi . . . . 19.70 Constantia (white) . . . . 19.75 do. (red). . . . . 18.92 Lisbon . . . . . . 18.94 Cape Muscat . . . . . 18.25 Rousillon (average) . . . . 18.13 Malaga . . . . . . 17.26 Hermitage (white) . . . . 17.43 Malmsey Madeira . . . . 16.40 Lunel . . . . . . 15.52 Bordeaux Wine or Claret (average) . 15.10 Sauterne. . . . . . 14.22 Burgundy (average) . . . . 14.57 Nice . . . . . . 14.63 Champagne (still) . . . . 13.80 do (sparkling) . . . 12.61 Names 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.-Continued.

Red Hermitage . . . . . 12.32 Vin de Grave . . . . . 13.37 Frontignac . . . . . 12.89 Cote Rote . . . . . 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 Whiskey . . . . . 54.32 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 yielding 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.