ADULTERATION OF WINES. The various substances used in the manufacture to flavour and to colour wines (such as almonds, raisins, orris root, burnt sugar, brandy, logwood, whortleberries, elderberries, &c.), must be distinguished from others which are directly deleterious, such as alum, used to impart astringency, and litharge and ceruse, to dulcify "pricked" or sour wines. The following is an excellent test for any of the preparations of lead: mix an aqueous solution of tartaric acid with liquid sulphuretted hydrogen; when added to the suspected wine, should any copper or iron be present, they are kept in solution by the tartaric acid, while the lead is thrown down by the sulphuretted hydrogen as a dark precipitate. Red wine should be decolorized before using the test, which is conveniently done by mixing the wine with an equal weight of milk, and filtering it. When the tartrate of lead is found in the bottom of the cask, it may easily be detected by calcining a portion of the insoluble matter, and reducing it by the blowpipe on charcoal. A portion of the sediment may be digested with vinegar, which would give, by evaporation, acetate of lead; and it may be tried by sulphuretted hydrogen. Alum may be precipitated from white wine by carbonate of soda gradually added until no more falls down; filter; on the filter will be found alumine. The sulphate of potassa remains in the solution; but the quantity present may be found by precipitating the sulphuric acid by muriate of baryta. Iron is sometimes accidentally present in wines; but it is not dangerous, and may be detected by nutgalls. Copper sometimes occurs from the use of copper stopcocks: it is detected by the addition of ammonia; and, if much, by a plate of polished iron left some time in the wine. Arsenic has occasionally occurred from the sulphuring of the cask. After decoloration by animal charcoal, pass a stream of sulphuretted hydrogen through the wine, and a yellow precipitate will fall, which may be reduced to the metallic state by charcoal and soda. The same tests are applicable to all fermented liquors.—See Henderson's Hist. of Ancient and Modern Wines.