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elements are dislodged, so to speak, from the position they hold, one to another, and then a re-arrangement of them takes place. Part of the carbon of the sugar unites with most of the oxygen so as to form carbonic acid, which flies off in gas. The rest of it combines with all the hydrogen and some of the oxygen, and becomes alcohol or spirit, the production whereof in infusion of malt, converts it into that generous and invigorating beverage on the philosophy of which I have now the honor of addressing you. Alcohol consists of four proportionals of carbon, six of hydrogen, and two of oxygen. The proportions of these elements one to another in sugar and alcohol, as well as other things, are made out by separating one from the other according to art, in ways which it would take too long to describe, called Analysis. Well; you see fermentation is a sort of inward commotion ending in a new constitution; a sort of natural revolution in point of fact. Alcohol is formed in making wine, and all strong drinks, in the same manner as in brewing. A certain quantity of it, perhaps you may know, is even produced in fermenting bread. This is mostly lost in the baking; but some years ago, there was a .company formed to supply the public with cheap bread, in the hopes of being enabled to afford to sell it at a lower price by collecting the spirit that is generally wasted. Whereupon a baker, who was up to snuff a great deal more than to chemistry, set up a shop where he professed to sell bread at the same rate as the company, with the gin in it!

"The carbonic acid given off from beer while fermenting, is what makes it so dangerous to go down into vats, and sometimes occasions death by this being done without precaution.

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66 The proper plan is to send a candle down first; if there is much carbonic acid it puts it out. So, if you light down into the tun-tub, over the fermenting liquor.

All the inside of the tub, above the liquor, while it is working, is full of carbonic acid gas; and if you dip a cup into the gas gently, you can ladle it out, and then if you turn the cup upside down over a candle, you extinguish it as completely as if you were to pour water upon it, by that means astonishing the weak minds of spectators in a considerable degree.

"When the froth, or yeast, ceases to be formed on the surface of the liquor in the tun-tub, your wort has become beer, which you allow to get cold, and then put it into the cask or barrel. Here the fermentation still goes slowly on, as is shown by the yeast, that keeps gradually working out of the cask, till all the sugar, or as much of it as can be, is changed into spirit. Beer that tastes sweet, owes its sweetness to containing sugar not decomposed, or changed into spirit. Bottled beer is beer in which the carbonic acid, made by the decomposition of the sugar or other vegetable matter in the beer, is prevented from escaping by being corked down.

"A liquor, to ferment, requires a certain amount of heat, not lower than between fifty-five and sixty-five degrees. It likewise grows hotter during fermentation; and as carbonic acid gas is thrown off at the same time, as from a fire, this makes fermentation seem somewhat like a burning or combustion. Only this, which is called the vinous fermentation, is a sort of burning independent of the air, the oxygen that feeds it being contained in the liquor.

"All fermentation in beer-or wine either-ought to stop with the change of sugar into spirit. But by being exposed to the air, or to the action of electricity, and some other causes, a second fermentation is set up in it. The alcohol takes in oxygen from the air, and is changed into acetic acid, or vinegar. This is the reason why it is so necessary to have beer casks thoroughly air-tight; for

though what is called the acetous fermentation is interesting as a matter of science, to have one's beer turn sour is a great misfortune, in a domestic and economical point of view. What is termed hard beer is beer in which vinegar, or acetic acid, has begun to form.

"Good beer, then, is a mixture of alcohol and water, more or less undecomposed sugar, mucilage, and other extractive matter, carbonic acid, in greater or less quantity, and those delicate principles on which flavor depends, besides the bitter of the hop. To these things there is added coloring-matter, which is given by the malt. In porter this is got by malt that has been roasted almost to charcoal. The carbonic acid in beer is what its briskness depends upon. The little bubbles you see in sparkling ale are composed of this gas, and without it the beer tastes flat. Old beer is beer wherein the vegetable matter has been wholly or mostly decomposed. In mild beer the decomposition has not been quite completed. It is a pleasing relish to a pot of beer to reflect on the chemical facts which that particular taste in it, which you fancy, depends upon.

"So much, ladies and gentlemen, for the chemistry of beer. Now for a word or two about the druggistry of it. Instead of malt, sugar, treacle, honey, and other sweet things may be used-though contrary to law in the case of brewers and are so, I fancy, more or less, without much harm. Wormwood, quassia, and other bitters, may, in like manner, be employed in lieu of hops, without poisoning the consumer. Buckbean, or Menyanthes trifoliata, is another substitute to be marked 'dangerous.' Aloes has likewise been used for the same purpose; but, being physic, I think it had much better be confined to regular medicinal purposes and not used to doctor beer with.

"I won't say, however, that beer may never require a

little doctoring. It is apt to be rather indisposed at times; that is, to turn somewhat sour. When slightly afflicted with this complaint, a few egg-shells, which, in fact, are so much chalk, to absorb the acidity, may not be injurious. A little salt is supposed to make beer keep there can be no great harm in that. Some have given their beer jalap, in the proportion of two or three ounces to twenty barrels ; the reason for which proceeding is unknown; it may not do harm; but I don't see that it can do much good. Copperas is used for the sake of giving porter a frothy top. For this purpose, there need not be used more than would lie on a half-crown piece for a barrel. But I, for my part, should be disposed to think that so much copperas as would affect the head of a pot of beer, would be not unlikely also to affect the human stomach; and I would, therefore, prefer not to have any copperas in my beer, if I knew it.

"However, this copperas, or sulphate of iron, is found in a great many springs of water, which the Excise does not prevent brewers from brewing from, although it forbids them to put the same quantity of copperas as what there is in those springs into the common water which they use. But this only proves that the law knows nothing about chemistry; and I'm afraid it don't know much more about philosophy and science of any sort.

"The root of the sweet flag, coriander and caraway seeds, orange-peel, and other aromatics, are also used to give beer that flavor, which, if properly made, it would derive, without any such medical treatment, from malt and hops.

"Lastly, there are drugs which are put into beer merely to increase its fuddling power-Cocculus Indicus, St. Ignatius's Bean, Nux Vomica, or Ratsbane, Opium and Tobacco. Concerning which, I shall only make the brief

remark, that though in this age of enlightenment and civilization, we must be naturally averse to capital punishments, I wish every brewer who puts any such stuff into his liquor, was condemned to drink his own beer, and nothing else, till he died-which I fancy he would in no very long time.

"I feel that I have not exhausted the subject of beer but I am afraid I may have exhausted your patience However, if my discourse has occasioned on your parts a feeling of dryness, the subject of it no doubt will suggest to you a ready means of relieving that uncomfortable sensation."

The lecture of Mr. Saunders was listened to with marked attention by a crowded auditory. At its conclusion, a teetotaller stepped forward, and begged to ask the lecturer's opinion on the relation of beer to health and morality? To which Mr. Saunders replied, that he considered it highly favorable to both, provided moderation—a virtue in itself— was observed in the use thereof. Too much of any good thing was bad; and this remark was as true of tea as of anv malt liquor.

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