16 UA-58907690-1
16
drometer
:f
but
that
trade
must
be
very
poor
indeed
that
does
not
allow
a
retail
dealer
to
keep,
(without
the
fear
of
detection,)
a
stock
of
ten
or
twenty
gallons
of
both
Brandy
and
Rum
always
on
hand,
f
I
have
borrowed
the
following
extract
from
Accum's
Culi-
nary
Poisons,
(page
235),
as affording
the
clearest
definition
of
the
terms
underproof
and
overproof,
and
the
nature
of
the
hy-
drometer
:
he
says,
'
By
the
Excise
Laws
at
present
existing
in
this
country,
the
various
degrees
of
strength
of
Brandy,
Rum,
Ar-
rack,
Gin,
Whisky,
and
all
other
spirituous
liquors,
chiefly
com-
posed
of
little
else
than
Spirits
of
Wine,
are
determined
by
the
quantity
of
alcohol,
of
a
given
specific
gravity,
contained
in
the
spirituous
liquor
of
a
supposed
unknown
strength.
The
great
public
importance
of
this
subject
in
this
country,
where
the
con-
sumption
of
spirituous
liquors
adds
a
vast
sum
to
the
public
re-
venue,
has
been
the
means
of
instituting
many
very
interesting
ex-
periments
on
the
subject.
The
instrument
used
for
that
purpose,
by
the
Customs
and
officers
of
the
Excise,
is
called
Sykes's
hy-
drometer,
which
has
superseded
the
instrument
called
Clarke's
hydrometer,
heretofore
in
use.
The
specific
gravity
or
strength
of
the
legal
standard
spirit
of
excise
is
technically
called
proof,
or
proof
spirit.
"
This
liquor
(not
being
sweetened, or
having
any
ingredients
dissolved
in
it
to
defeat
the
strength
thereof)
,
at
the
temperature
of
51
Farhenheit,
weighs
exactly
-\\
parts
of
an
equal
measure
of
distilled
water;"
and
with
this
spirit,
the
strengths
of
all
other
spirituous
liquors
are
compared
according
to
law.
The
strength
of
Brandy,
Rum,
Arrack,
Gin,
and
other
spi-
rituous
liquors
weaker
than
proof,
or
below
proof,
is
estimated
by
the
quantity
of
water
which
would
be
necessary
to
bring
the
spirit
up
to
proof.
The
hydrometer
is
calculated
to
show
the per
cent-
age
of
strength
above
or
below
proof,
as
the
case
may
be,
of
the
Spirit
submitted
to
trial.
The
stem
of
the
instrument
is
gra-
duated,
and
so
subdivided,
as
to
meet
every
variety
in
the
strength
of
the
liquor
to
be
examined
which
may
fall
between
the
weights
,.
(nine
in
number)
used
with
the
instrument;
the
divisions
and
sub-
divisions
on
the
hydrometer,
which
remain
above
the surface
of