The Polynesian., 1841-12-11

The denominations, first proof, second
proof, fourth proof, Holland proof, so per
cent. above proof, GO per cent. below
proof, &C., arc arbitrary terms, used in
various countries to express certain de-
grccs Of strength of spirituous liquors.
Nearly all the instruments invented for
this purpose disagree in this respect, and
are generally based on absurd and inc
quitable principles. Hitherto, no ins,ru-
mont has been constructed, which per-
forms its office with more case and cxpc-
dition, and with less error, than the aico-
metre of Nj. Gay-Lussac. 1t has been
used as the standard of France, Sweden,
and Prussia, for fifteen years and, by
slight modification Of the tables which ac-
company it, it might readily be adopted
into Great Britain and the United States,
from which incalculable advantages might
be derived. The scale of this instrument
is divided into 100 parts called degrees,
which denote the per ccntage or hum
dredth parts of absolute alcohol of spe-
ciic gravity of O.7947 at l50 centigrades,
or so degrees of Fahrenheit. When the
instrument is plunged into distilled water
of the above-namcd temperature, the sur
face of the liquid is cut by % on the
scale, and when plunged into alcohol of
the specific gravity and temperature as
above, it stands at 1902. Ifit be plunged
into mixture of equal volumes of the
same kind Of alcohol and distilled water
at the said temperature, 1t will stand at
500, which is regarded as proof-spirit OF
Holland proof. After this principle of
graduation, the strength Of a spirtuous
liquor may be known by the number of
degrees, or hundredths, by measure, of
absolute alcohol that the liquor contains
at $50 F. If it were desirable to know
the true quantity Of absolute alcohol that
a given quantity of spirits contains. of that
Temperature, it would only be necessary
to plunge the instrument into the liquor
and multiply the number of degrees at
which it would stand by the capacity of
'cask, and the result would denote the
quantity required. Suppose, for example,
a cask containing 100 gallons, be filled
with sprituous liquor in which the in
strument would stand at $50 at $50 F.;
100 multiplied by O.55 will produce &C,
the number Of gallons of absolute alcohol
present.
The instrument is sometimes accom-
panied, by book of rules and tables for
proving liquors, at various degrees of tenn
perature, by the centigrade thermometer,
and, likewise, for mixing liquors of differ
ent degrees of strength, &c. The cent?
grade thermometer should be employed
in preference to that of Fahrenheit, as it
is graduated agreeebly to our new system.
We are happy to learn that the " Regents
of the University" have adopted the CEN
tigrade at the several colleges and acade-
mics in the State of New York, and it is
our ardent wish that its use might become
general throughout the world.
The foregoing system could undoubt-
eddy be brought into practice, in a very
few years, if a law were passed and rigid
ly carried into effect, that would nullify
all legal suits other than those contracted
agreeably to the new system. Persons
who are known to keep in their possess
sion weights and measures different from
those provided by law, and to buy or sell
by the same, should be prohibited from
recovering in any legal suit that might be