pring Water.

[24] See An Analysis of the Mineral Waters of Tunbridge Wells, by Dr.
Scudamore, p. 55.

The application of the sulphuretted hydrogen test requires some
precautions in those cases where other metals besides lead may be
expected; because silver, quicksilver, tin, copper, and several other
metals, are affected by it, as well as lead; but there is no chance of
these metals being met with in common water.--See _Chemical Tests_,
third edition, p. 207.

[25] Analysis of Tunbridge Wells Water, by Dr. Scudamore, p. 55.

[26] Nicholson's Journal, p. 33, 310.

_Adulteration of Wine._

It is sufficiently obvious, that few of those commodities, which are the
objects of commerce, are adulterated to a greater extent than wine. All
persons moderately conversant with the subject, are aware, that a
portion of alum is added to young and meagre red wines, for the purpose
of brightening their colour; that Brazil wood, or the husks of
elderberries and bilberries,[27] are employed to impart a deep rich
purple tint to red Port of a pale, faint colour; that gypsum is used to
render cloudy white wines transparent;[28] that an additional
astringency is imparted to immature red wines by means of oak-wood
sawdust,[29] and the husks of filberts; and that a mixture of spoiled
foreign and home-made wines is converted into the wretched compound
frequently sold in this town by the name of _genuine old Port_.

Various expedients are resorted to for the purpose of communicating
particular flavours to insipid wines. Thus a _nutty_ flavour is produced
by bitter almonds; factitious Port wine is flavoured with a tincture
drawn from the seeds of raisins; and the ingredients employed to form
the _bouquet_ of high-flavoured wines, are sweet-brier, oris-root,
clary, cherry laurel water, and elder-flowers.

The flavouring ingredients used by manufacturers, may all be purchased
by those dealers in wine who are initiated in the mysteries of the
trade; and even a manuscript recipe book for preparing them, and the
whole mystery of managing all sorts of wines, may be obtained on payment
of a considerable fee.

The sophistication of wine with substances not absolutely noxious to
health, is carried to an enormous extent in this metropolis. Many
thousand pipes of spoiled cyder are annually brought hither from the
country, for the purpose of being converted into factitious Port wine.
The art of manufacturing spurious wine is a regular trad