olesale manufactories, are usually _made up_ by fraudulent retailers,
into a saleable commodity, with fourteen gallons of water and twenty-six
pounds of sugar. Now this dilution of the liquor produces a turbidness;
because the oil of juniper and other flavouring substances which the
spirit holds in solution, become precipitated by virtue of the water,
and thus cause the liquor to assume an opaline colour: and the spirit
thus weakened, cannot readily be rendered clear again by subsidence.
Several expedients are had recourse to, to clarify the liquor in an
expeditious manner; some of which are harmless; others are criminal,
because they render the liquor poisonous.

One of the methods, which is innocent, consists in adding to the
weakened liquor, first, a portion of alum dissolved in water, and then a
solution of sub-carbonate of potash. The whole is stirred together, and
left undisturbed for twenty-four hours. The precipitated alumine thus
produced from the alum, by virtue of the sub-carbonate of potash, acts
as a strainer upon the milky liquor, and carries down with it the finely
divided oily matter which produced the blue colour of the diluted
liquor. Roach, or Roman alum, is also employed, without any other
addition, for clarifying spiritous liquors.

"_To reduce unsweetened Gin._[99]

"A tun of fine gin 252 gallons
"Water 36
-----
"Which added together make 288 gallons

"The _doctor is now put_ on,
and it is further reduced
with water 19
-----
"Which gives Total 307 gallons of gin.

"This done, let 1 lb. of alum be just covered with water, and dissolved
by boiling; rummage the whole well together, and pour in the alum, and
the whole will be fine in a few hours."

"_To prepare and sweeten British Gin._[100]

"Get from your distiller an empty puncheon or cask, which will contain
about 133 gallons. Then take a cask of clear rectified spirits, 120
gallons, of the usual strength as rectifiers sell their goods at, put
the 120 gallons of spirits into your empty cask.

"Then take a quarter of an ounce of oil of vitriol, half an ounce of
oil of almonds, a quarter of an ounce of oil of turpentine, one ounce of
oil of juniper berries, half a pint of spirit of wine, and half a pound
of