Besides an ardent spirit, wine affords a great deal of water, oil, earth, and a sort of acid which shall be considered presently. When the spirituous part is separated from these other matters, they undergo no further change. But if all the constituent parts of wine remain combined together, then, after some time, shorter or longer as the degree of heat in which the wine stands is greater or less, the fermentation begins afresh, or rather arrives at its second stage. The liquor once more grows turbid, a new intestine motion arises, and, after some days, it is found changed into an acid; which, however, is very different from those hitherto treated of. The liquor then takes the name of _Vinegar_. The acetous fermentation differs from the spirituous, not only in its effect, but also in several of its concomitant circumstances. Moderate motion is of service to this, whereas it obstructs the spirituous; and it is attended with much more warmth than the spirituous. The vapours it produces are not noxious, like those of fermenting wine. Lastly, Vinegar deposites no tartar, even when the wine employed in this operation is quite new, and hath not had time to discharge its tartar: instead of tartar, Vinegar deposites a viscid matter which is very apt to putrify. It must be observed, that wine is not the only substance that is susceptible of the acetous fermentation: for several vegetable and even animal matters, which are not subject to the spirituous fermentation, turn sour before they putrify. But as vinous liquors possess in a very eminent degree the property of being susceptible of the acetous fermentation, and likewise of producing the strongest acids that can result from such fermentation, their acid shall be more particularly considered in this place. SECTION I. _Of_ VINEGAR. If wine, which has gone through this second stage of fermentation, be distilled, instead of an ardent spirit, only an acid liquor is obtained, which is called _Distilled Vinegar_. This acid has the same properties as the mineral acids of which we have already treated; that is, it unites with alkaline salts, absorbent earths, and metallic substances, and therewith forms neutral saline combinations. Its affinity with these substances observes the same order as that observed by the mineral acids with regard to the same substances; but in general it is weaker; that is, any mineral acid is capable of expelling the acid of Vinegar out of all matters with which it is united. Vinegar hath likewise a greater affinity than sulphur with alkalis: whence it follows, that it is capable of decompounding that combination of sulphur with an alkali called Liver of Sulphur, and of precipitating the sulphur it contains.