_Sources, &c._ Dilute alcohol may be procured, by the ordinary process of distillation, from all fermented liquors. When drawn from wine (as in France), it constitutes BRANDY; when from the refuse juice of the sugar-cane, it is called RUM; when from malt, grain, or molasses (as in England), it is called MALT, RAW-GRAIN or MOLASSES SPIRIT; and when from rice or palm-wine, ARRACK. Brandy, rum, Hollands, and whisky, contain only about half their volume of alcohol; and gin much less. When distilled from any of these spirituous liquors, the alcohol contains, besides water, variable quantities of essential oils, ethers, and other flavouring matters, which, by one or more redistillations with charcoal or lime, it for the most part loses, and then becomes commercial spirit of wine. By a further rectification from chloride of calcium, lime, carbonate of potash, or any other substance having a strong affinity for water, the water is retained, and a strong spirit passes over containing not more than 10 per cent. of water. By repeating the process, and using the proper precautions, it may be obtained almost entirely free from water, and is then called absolute or anhydrous alcohol. _Preparation I._ Of _Absolute Alcohol_:—— _a._ Alcohol (highly rectified spirit), of 85% (sp. gr. ·835 to ·822), is mixed, in a tubulated retort, with about half its weight of fresh-burnt quick-lime, in coarse powder; and the whole, after securely stopping the neck with a cork, and agitation, is allowed to repose for several days. The alcohol is then carefully distilled off, drop by drop, by the heat of a water bath, until the weight of the distillate nearly equals that of the ‘anhydrous alcohol’ in the spirit operated on. The sp. gr. of the product should be ·795 or ·796; but by carefully repeating the process with the distillate and a fresh quantity of lime, and prolonging the last digestion with the latter for several weeks, absolute alcohol of the sp. gr. ·79381 at 60° Fahr. may be easily obtained. _b._ (Drinkwater; Fownes.) The strongest rectified spirit of wine is digested in a stoppered bottle for several days, with about half its weight of anhydrous carbonate of potash, in powder, frequent agitation being had recourse to; the alcohol, after repose, is then decanted, and treated with sufficient fresh-burnt quick-lime to absorb the whole of the spirit. After 48 hours’ digestion, the spirit, when distilled, will have the sp. gr. ·793 at 60° Fahr. _c._ (Liebig; Ure.) Alcohol of about 90% is saturated with fused chloride of calcium, in powder, and after repose for a few hours in a stoppered bottle, is submitted to distillation as before. The product should nearly equal the quantity of dry alcohol in the sample. Ure recommends equal weights of the spirit and chloride to be taken; and the process to be stopped as soon as about half the volume of the spirit employed has passed over, or the distillate acquires a higher sp. gr. than ·791 at 68°, or ·796 at 60° Fahr.