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Alcohol (Which all mixtures of alcohol)

of which all mixtures of alcohol and water are judged, contains 50 per cent by volume, and 42.52 per cent by weight of alcohol. The specific gravity of proof spirit is 0.933 and when a spirit is "above proof," it denotes that it contains an excess of alcohol; thus if 100 volumes of a spirit require 20 volumes of water to reduce it to "proof standard," it is said to be "20 over proof," while the term "under proof" has reference to a less strong spirit than the standard. Thus, if 100 volumes of a spirit require 20 volumes of spirit of a specific gravity of 0.825 to raise it to the "proof" standard, the sample is said to be "20 under proof." The manner of determining the strength of alcohol by the hydrometer is clearly described under the head of "Alcoholometry and the Hydrometer."

The great affinity of alcohol for water is the cause of its poisonous action on the system, since it destroys the vital functions of the tissues by abstracting their constitutional moisture with avidity; these violent effects are not produced when alcohol, in a diluted state, is taken in small quantities-only a pleasant hilarity follows, though larger draughts are succeeded by stupor and intoxication. Still, even a small quantity of alcohol when taken as a beverage tends to produce thirst, by absorbing some of the moisture of the tissues: this is the reason why persons who have been drinking any kind of alcoholic liquor, crave water afterwards.

Alcohol when thoroughly rectified and cleansed is called pure neutral spirit, and is the basis of all the domestic manufactured imitations of foreign brandies, gins, cordials, etc.

The high wine, or neutral spirit, distilled and rectified in the United States, and sold as French Pure Spirit, is free from all deleterious substances, and when sweetened.