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76
THE FLOWING BOWL
Argol, mentioned just now, is a crude variety
of cream of tartar which forms a crust within
wine-vats and bottles. Originally it exists in
the juice of the grape, and is soluble therein j
but during the fermentation of the juice, and as
it passes into wine, much alcohol is developed,
which remaining in the fermenting liquor,
causes the precipitation of Argol.
Thus the
"crust" of port wine is Argol, the principal
uses (and abuses) of which are in the preparation
of (besides cognac) cream of tartar and tartaric
acid. And malicious people say that you have
only to scratch French brandy to find the Tartar.
A few years ago a German chemist discovered
that a very drinkable brandy can be made from
sawdust—whether deal sawdust or any description
of dust does not appear j and under the heading,
"A New Danger to Teetotalism," an American
journal published the following effusion ;
"We are a friend of the temperance movement
and want it to succeed ; but what chance can it
have when a man can take a rip-saw and go out
and get drunk with a fence-rail ? What is the
use of a prohibitory liquor law if a man is able to
make brandy-smashes out of the shingles on his
roof, or if he can get delirium tremens by drink
ing the legs of his kitchen chairs.? You may
shut up an inebriate out of a gin shop and keep
him away from taverns, but if he can become
uproarious on boiled sawdust and desiccated
window-sills, any effort must necessarily be a
failure."
I can believe in the ability of most German
chemists to do most things ; and possibly saw-