[98] Recent reports of the vintage in France for the year 1886, indicate that, while a decided improvement has been experienced in the Champagne, Burgundy, Hérault, and Rousillon districts, this has failed to be the case in Charentes and Gironde, where the phylloxera has again seriously injured the crops. [99] F. Schaffer (Zeits. Anal. Chem., xxiv. p. 559) has made the following analyses of artificial wine (grammes in 100 c.c.):-- ------------------------+--------+--------+------- Alcohol (by volume) | 8·05 | 9·55 | 7·02 Extract | 2·395 | 1·962 | 1·797 Sugar | 0·330 | 0·409 | 0·321 Ash | 0·209 | 0·135 | 0·160 Acidity (as tartaric) | 0·743 | 0·501 | 0·772 Free tartaric acid | -- | traces | traces Cream of tartar | 0·264 | 0·227 | 0·471 Sulphuric anhydride | 0·0374 | -- | -- Phosphoric anhydride | 0·0196 | 0·0135 | 0·0172 ------------------------+--------+--------+------- [100] It is asserted by a prominent wine merchant in New York that the monthly production of two manufacturers of artificial wine in this city exceeds 30,000 gallons. [101] Blyth, op. cit., p. 445. [102] According to J. Carter Bell (‘Analyst,’ vi. pp. 197, 221), the average composition of the ash of pure grape-juice is as follows:-- K_{2}O Na_{2}O CaO MgO Fe_{2}O_{3} & Al_{2}O_{3} 42·14 3·37 11·48 9·67 0·75 SiO_{2} P_{2}O_{6} SO_{3} Cl 0·29 9·60 9·14 1·09 [103] Curtman (Jour. Pharm., xiv. p. 523) states that salicylic acid can be detected by adding to 4 c.c. of the wine (or beer) 2 c.c. of methylic alcohol and 2 c.c. of sulphuric acid. Shake the mixture, heat gently for two minutes, then allow to cool. Next heat to boiling, when, in presence of the acid, the odour of oil of wintergreen will be perceptible. [104] Zeit. f. Anal. Chem., xxi. p. 3, 1882. [105] Journ. Chem. Soc., xxxvii. p. 572. [106] Schweizer Wochenschrift, xxii. p. 143. [107] ‘Comptes Rendus,’ 101, pp. 823, 1011, 1167. [108] Répert de Pharm. xii. p. 504. [109] Reichsanzeiger, 1884, No. 154. [110] R. Borgman (loc. cit.) gives the follow average relations of ingredients in pure wine:-- Alcohol : glycerine = 100 : 10·5 Extract : acidity = 1000 : 16·6 Acidity : ash = 10 : 3·4 Ash : extractives = 1 : 11·2 Phosphoric acid : ash = 1 : 6·8 LIQUORS. The ordinary forms of liquors (namely, whisky, rum, and gin), are prepared by the distillation of alcoholic infusions. The process of distillation is preceded either by the conversion of the amylaceous constituents of grain, first into sugar, then into alcohol, or by the fermentation of saccharine bodies into alcohol, or, as in the case of brandy, it may be directly applied to a solution containing alcohol.