Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-05-16

that age of darkness and superstition, kept I
a profound mystery. When it became more 7
known, physicians prescribed il only as
medicine, and imhgired that it had The i'm {
po1tant property Of prolongihg life, upon
which account they designated Il Aqua
Vitm, or the Water Of life, and the
French. to this day, call their Cognac Eua
de Vse.'
It is a remarkable circumstance, OBJ
served the Clergyman, filing his glass. that
there is hardly any nation, however rude
and destitute of invention, that has not sue
ceeded in discovering some composition Of
an intoxicating nature !; and it would ap-
pear, that nearly all the herbs, and roots,
aud fruits on the face Of the earth have been
In some way or other, sacrificed on the shrine
Of Bacchus. All the different grains des-
tined for the support Of man corn of every
description /; eseulent roots, potatoes. ear
rots, turnips grass itself, as in Kamtschat
ka: apples pears, cherries, and even the
delicious juice Of the peach. have been press
:. ed into this service /; nay, SC inexhaustible
appear to be the resources Of art, that vim
Gus spirit has been obtained by distillation
J, from milk ITSELF
) Milk T cried the merry-faee1 guest
Can alcohol be obtained from mothers
milkT
: Very probably, continued the Clergy
man. The Tartars and Calmueks obtain
/ a vinous spirit from the distillation Of mares
and cows milk and, as far as | can .recol-
. IL
: milk first to remain In untanued skins, sew
y ed together, until it sours and thickens.-
IS This they agitate until thick cream appears
e on the surface, which they give to their
a guests, and then from the skinned milk
I. that remains. they draw of the spirits
T. Exactly so, observed the Doctor, but
n il is worthy Of notiec, that Russian chemist
DfI discovered that if this milk were deprived oi
d its butter and cheese, the whey, although
Isl it contains the whole Of the sugar Of milk,
s, viii not undergo vinous fermentation
m These facts, observed the host; are in
e, teresting, but they are more curious than use
lp full. The alcohol, presume. from Whatev
to er source it be derived, is chemically th,
same thing; how. then, does it happen tha
n. some wines containing precisely the sam
10 quantity Of alcohol, intoxicate more speedil,
be than others /? s..
i'd The reason, explained the Doctor, i
Iot simply this. We must regard all wines
Mt even the very wine we are drinking, not a
a simple mixture. but as compound holdin
is the matter Of sugar, mucilagenous, and ez
ed traetive principles contained in the grap
lol juice, in intimate combination with the alcs
nd hol. Accordingly, the moro quickly th
lse real spirit is set free from this combination
the more rapidly are Intoxicating effects pri
In, duced and this is the reason why wine
SITS containing the same quantity Of alcohol hav
he, different Intoxicating powers Thus, chan
ons pagne intexieates very quickly. Now th
50 wine contains comparatively only a sma
ali. quantity of alcohol; bnt this escapes, fro
KY the froth, or bubbles Of carbonie acid pa
ose as it reaches the surface, carrying alon
ac- with it all the aroma which Is SO aereeab
N to the taste. The liquor in che glass the
7ed becomes yapid. This has been clear
IT'S, proved. The froth Of champagne has bet
nit collected under glass bell, and goidenss
the by surrounding the vessel with ice the :
hat cohol has then been found condensed with
, is the glass. The object. therefore, Of ieii
di- champagne; or rather the effect produe,
lis. by this operations to repress its tendenl
act, to eferyesce, whereby a smaller quantity
ira alcohol is taken with each glass. Win
un- containing the same quantity Of alcohol .
the cordingly differ in their effects nay, It
t is not TO the alcohol only they. contain, IL
i'll lEcertain obnoxious effects are to be attrih
mu- ted, for, as DIR. Paris clearly shows, VII
ton they contain an excess Of certain acids
and suppressed fermentation takes place in t
ent, stomach itself, which will cause fatulen
and and great variety Of unpleasant symptom
he'd In fact fluid load remains in the stoms
our to undergo q slow and painful form Of
ownl gestioh.
be, But in whatever shape you introduce
hful remarked the host, whether disguised
) or wine, or in the form of brandy, Whiskey,
ion. gin-and-water, it matters mott wish to h
), or clear idea Of the immediate effects of al
cess. hol upon the living SYSTEM
poi 'Wellp said the Doctor, it can very
uids SLY be described When you swallow
cred glass-let us say of brandy-and- water
I Job stimulating liquid, upon entering into
isons stomach, excites the blood vessels and ner
ants. of its internal lining coat, which causcs
are increased flow of blood and nervous enc
to this part. The consequence is, that
Illing internal membrane Of the stomach beco
a Gu highly reddened and injected, Just as il
ents, famation bad already been produced by
igno- presence of the stimnlant. Thus far
| like lprohably follow me.--but this is not a
which the vessels thus excited have an Absorb
power; they suck up Gas itwere) and
an ry directly into the stream Of the cireula
y de- a portion Cat all eventsl Of the ale
e,n.,, uhsnh 4h,,. :.....aAL.. L.. !,