“Add to eight parts, by measure, of the wine to be examined, one part of a concentrated solution of subacetate of lead; a dense insoluble precipitate will ensue; which is a combination of the test-liquor with the colouring, extractive and acid matter of the wine. Shake the mixture for a few minutes, pour the whole upon a filter and collect the filtered fluid. It contains the brandy, or spirit, and water of the wine, together with a portion of the subacetate of lead. Add, in small quantities at a time to this fluid, warm, dry, and pure subcarbonate of potash, (not salt of tartar, or the subcarbonate of potash of commerce); which has previously been freed from water by heat, till the last portion added remains undissolved. The brandy or spirit contained in the fluid will become separated; for the subcarbonate of potash abstracts from it the whole of the water, with which it was combined; the brandy or spirit of wine forms a distinct stratum, which floats upon the aqueous solution of the alkaline salt. If the experiment be made in a glass tube, from one half inch to two inches in diameter, and graduated into a hundred equal parts, the per centage of spirit, in a given quantity of wine, may be read off by mere inspection. In the same manner the strength of any wine may be examined.” The following is the proportion, or per centage, of alcohol or spirit in some of the most common wines and spirituous liquors. But such of my readers as may wish to gain more extensive information on the subject, I refer them to the first volume of the Journal of Science and the Arts, p. 290. Madeira 24.42 to 19.24 average 22.77 Sherry 19.81 to 18.25 average 16.17 Claret 17.18 to 12.91 average 15.10 Port 25.83 to 19.96 average 22.99 Champagne 13.80 to 11.30 average 12.61 Cider, highest average 9.87 lowest do. 5.21 Brandy 53.39 Rum 53.68 Gin 54.32 Whiskey (Scotch) 54.32 Whiskey (Irish) 53.90 Ale (Burton) 8.88 —— (Edinburgh) 6.20 —— (Dorchester) 5.50 London Porter (average) 4.20 Small Beer (average) 1.28