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drinks:
351
The
Melo-cacti
of
South
America
have
earned
for
themselves
the
name
of
"
springs
of
the
desert,"
owing
to
their
Hquor-preserving
properties.
An
in-
genious
drink
is
that
of
the
natives
of
Siberia,
a
drink
prepared
of
an
intoxicating
mushroom,^
in
a
pecuHar
and
economical
manner,
by
natural
distillation.
Vinegar
appears
as
a
beverage
in
a
few
countries
only,
and
then
for
special
purposes.
The
Roman
soldiers
received
it
as
a
refreshing
drink
on
their
marches,
and
even
in
the
time
of
Constantine
their
rations
included
vinegar
on
one
day
and
wine
on
the
other.
After
all,
this
vinegar
may
have
been
nothing
more
than
what
many
of
us
drink
at
present
under
the
title
of
wine.
That
"
excellent
claret,"
for
instance,
''
fit
for
any
gentleman's
table,"
which
may
be
had
at
\s.
6d.
a
bottle,
may
be
very
like
the
vinegar
of
the
Roman
soldier.
Roman
reapers
used
it
mixed
with
water,
we
are
told
by
Theocritus
(Idyl
x.),
and
before
that
time
Ruth
was
directed
to
dip
her
morsel
In
the
vinegar
when
she
gleaned
in
the
field
of
Boaz.
Ptisana,
mentioned
by
Celsus
(lii.
7),
appears
to
have
been
a
mixture
of
rice
or
barley
water
and
vinegar.
Toast-water
is
a
drink
which
may
be
held
by
*
The
mushroom
used
by
the
Chukchees
is
described
by
Lans-
dell,
Jhrough
Siberia^
ii.
269,
as
"spotted
like
a
leopard,
and
sur-
mounted
by
a
small
hood
—
the
fly
agaric,
which
here
has
the
top
scarlet,
flecked
with
white
points.
It
sells
for
three
or
four
reindeer.
So
powerful
is
the
fungus
that
the
native
who
eats
it
remains
drunk
for
several
days.
Half
a
dozen
persons
may
be
successively
intoxi-
cated
by
a
single
mushroom,
but
every
one
in
a
less
degree
than
his
predecessor/
Goldsmith,
Chinese
Philosopher.