The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1871-06-08
Soda water-ulow II ~ Made.

ring the winter, are mounted again
syrups manufactured, and various druy
stores and confectioncrics prepare I,
furnish largo class Of thirsty citizen,
with foamy and fnvoritc beverage
A largo portion of our population, in
cluding the lair sex, drink soda water
as the occasion offers. Even the dew
otco Of Burbon, wh) sncczcs at thir
wines, and looks upon lager beer as ,
week invcutioH-pfrhc cucuiy, rclishes
an occasional gts5 OF soda when bi:
coppers are hot and his blood rcycrish.
Others take it with a COOL dash o
whisky or brandy IN each glass.
Soda water is simply plain water
heavily charged with carbonc acid gas
the gas being evolved through tho ac'
,icn ofsulphuric acid on lime. Formerly
soda water was made with so1G
and tartaric acil, but as the sulphdric
plan is much cheaper it is generally
adopted. The fountains charged with
soda water are subjected to heavy
press1rc, and when tho work is care
lcssly done they not unfrequcutly ex
plodc sometimes causing loss Of life.
Soda water, without syrup, if uni,n-
preguatel with minerals, is a healthy
and pleasant beverage, having a slight
bighting, stinging taste in tho mouth
and assisting in the work Of digestion,
when taken into the stomach. In
England it is generally taken in this
way, or mixed with brandy. In this
country, however, it is usually taken
with syrups, favored with some sort
of fruiiy essence, of which the chemist
has given us all endless variety. In
this state soda is moro palatable, bat
not SO healthy.
Soda water is dcletcrious, mostly on
account Of the lead it holds in solution.
Being conveyed through Icaien pipos,
tho action of the carbonic acid gas
rapidly oXidizes the metal, which is held
in solution by the beverage. Lead, as
is well known, is dangerous poison.
When the weather is hot, aud the bev.
erasc in demand, the danger is not so
great rs the fountain is exhausted be.
fore it has time to become thoroughly
impregnatcd. 1t is not SO good to
drink soda on cold, chilly day, when
there is little demand for it. And oc-
easionally, in generating the gas, the
sulphuric acid slops over and mixes
with the beverage.
Every popular fruit has its repre-
rcsentative syrup, the customer paying
bis money and taking his choice. The
uusophisticated iondly imagine that
these grateful syrups are manufactured
directly from the fruit, and it is pity
to undeccivc them. But the glory Of
chemistry, as demonstrated in the
manufacture Of delicate fllvors from
the most unpromising substances, must
be vindicated,
The most popular soda syrup is
strawberry. The glorious fruit after
which it is named numbers its friends
by tho millions, and the soda tippler,
with the remembrance of vanished
strawberries and by-gonc cream still
lingering on his palate, when he or
ders glass Of soda takes strawberry
'in his'n.' We trust that in exposing
the formula for the manufacture OF
strawberry syrup, nobody's appetite
will be spoiled.
Butyric ether is the base Of all fruit
syrups. Butyric ether is made somc-
times Of rancid butter, though old, rot,
ton cheese is generally prefcrred-tho
loudest variety Of limburger affordiug
the best quality Of ether. The cheese
is treated with sulphuric acid, and if q
particularly nice and finely favored
ether is desired, few chips of old
leather are lded. Any sort OF leather
will do, but old boots or shoes are pre-
ferred. Strawberry syrup Is made OF
twelve parts Of byturic ether and one
part of acetic ether, diluted with al
cohol and water. A pint Of real straw
berry syrup added to tho gallon ol
mixture, will improve the syrup, but
it is not absolutely necessary color will
cochineal.
Raspberry syrup is made after the
same formula, except that pint Of rea
raspberry syrup is added, if the chcmis
has it. II not ho takes a jar of bis
strawberry syrup, colors q little darker
aud changes the label.
Sarsaparilla is tho simplest and mas.
tiest of the syrups. Molasses is i'll
base, with little essence Of sassafra
aud wintergrcen added. A few root
of sarsaparilla billed in the mixture
will do no harm and no good.