by Bates' instrument, was put into a common wine bottle, which was well corked, and a piece of bladder tied tightly over the cork, so as to exclude all extraneous matter: the gravity of the other pint was 41.5 by the same instrument, and was put into another bottle, and treated precisely as above, no yeast was employed. The two bottles were then suspended in a distiller's wash-back, which had just been pitched at a temperature of 66°, with the usual quantity of yeast.

41.5 Wash back 71°, no appearance of fermentation in either bottle. 41.1 Back in which bottles were placed 80°. No. 1 bottle a creamy head. No. 2 a frothy head, and on drawing the cork a hissing noise was heard, fermentation in both pretty strong.

17.8 No. 2 bottle, the gas, on cutting the string of the bladder over the cork, forced it out violently, and the contents commenced working over like brisk beer.

15.2 A frothy light yeasty head on both bottles, on No. 1 being uncorked, carbonic acid gas escaped, which blew out a candle. No. 2 also discharged gas with considerable force, and a portion of yeast adhered to the bottoms of the cork. No. 1 bottle still a yeasty-like head. No. 2, head nearly disappeared; carbonic acid still apparent in each.

13.0

Feb. 1

25.4

11.4

Went to still.

The above samples were carefully distilled in a retort, and the relative products according to the attenuation were not far different from the washback in which they had been placed, and which had been fermented in the regular way, and was rather below 0. The bottle No. 1, produced at the rate of a gallon of spirits for every 5.4 attenuated; and No. 2 at the rate of a gallon for every 5 attenuated; while the back produced a gallon for every 4.5 attenuated.

The above experiment was made in the Government Experimental Distillery in the year 1840, by two experienced revenue officers, and under the author's inspection, while employed by Dr. Birkbeck in conducting certain operations then under investigation.

REPORTS

CONCERNING BEER SENT TO CALCUTTA.

IN 1832, I brewed a small gyle of pale beer for the India market. The first worts were boiled one hour, the second one hour and a-half. I beg leave to subjoin the report made upon it in Calcutta.

"Calcutta, 8th August, 1832.-Report on two hogsheads of Black's pale ale, examined in the custom-house godowns of Messrs. Lyall, Matheson

and Co.-Two hogsheads of Black's pale ale.— This pale ale, of superior quality, is well adapted for the India market, both in colour, body, and flavour.

(Signed) JOHN BROWNE AND Co.,

Coopers to the Honourable Company.

Another lot of this same beer went to Messrs. Watson and Co., and I beg leave, also, to insert a short extract of their letter to me, of date, Calcutta, 9th April, 1833.

"We wrote to you on the 17th of November, to which we refer you. Your beer is now ripe, and confirms what we then wrote you; it is really most excellent, and, as such, we are disposing of it in small quantities, so as it may be known."

This, at all events, proves that long boiling is not essential to the preservation of beer; and I have come to the conclusion, that long boiling can do no good, but may do harm. Unless, therefore, longer time should be required for strength, one hour's boiling will sufficiently break the first worts, and two hours, at the utmost, will do the same by any other wort.

"MY DEAR SIR,

"London, Dec. 3, 1839.

"In answer to your note, I can only say

with regard to your beer supplied me when in the

Castle Huntly' the quality was highly approved of, not only by your acquaintance, but also the principal tasters in Calcutta, and by every one who

drank it.

"I had some of Hodson's, and Ind and Smith's, but your's was preferred, not only on board, but in Calcutta, where it brought me Rs. 10 per hogshead more than either of the others. The advice I was recommended to give you was not to imitate the brewing of others, but to adhere strictly to your own plan, when you must succeed.

"Yours, very truly,

(Signed)

"D. GRASSICK."

The beer was brewed in Spitalfields.

FOR the following remarks on electricity, as connected with brewing, I am indebted to my friend Dr. Cumming, of 34, Lowndes-street, Pimlico, who has been some time engaged in investigating the effects of electricity on various substances:—

It has long been observed, that fermented liquors are soured after thunder storms, and it has not only been observed that fermented liquors are so affected, but also that butter, milk, animal food, and all organised matters, having a disposition to chemical change, are sometimes most rapidly decomposed

after thunder. These changes we are induced to ascribe to electrical agency, from the well known fact, that animals killed by lightning almost immediately become putrid. Dr. Franklin relates a remarkable instance of the rapid decomposition of a "flock of sheep, assembled under a tree which were killed by a flash of lightning. The proprietor, desirous of saving something, sent persons next morning to flay them; but the putrefaction was such, and the stench so abominable, that they could not execute his orders. The sheep were consequently buried in their skins.” We might adduce many well-attested instances of similar effects produced on animals struck by lightning; and it can be proved by the evidence of many butchers in this city, that serious losses are often sustained by the rapid putrefaction of meat after thunder: a fact with which philosophers have long been acquainted.

Dr. Franklin suggested (no doubt from his knowledge of these effects of electricity) that animals might be rendered tender for the table by being killed by lightning. We are prepared experimentally to prove, that such chemical changes in fermented liquors are promoted by electricity, and not only in fermented liquors, but in all matters subject to decomposition; and the popular belief in the influence of this wonderful agent, which has so long been entertained, being thus

* Vide Franklin's Works, vol. vi. p. 231.