■I

Materia Medico.

Part II.

I

If

.Acidum acetosum; vulgar synonime, Acetum. Ed.

Acetum ; scientific synonime, Acidum Aceticum impurum.Lond.

Acetum vini. Dub.Vinegar. Impure acetous acid.

Vinegar, as obtained by the fermentation of vinous liquors,besides the pure acetic acid diluted with much water, containstartaric acid, tartrate of potass, mucilaginous and saccharinematters, a peculiar spiritous liquor lately examined by MrChenevix, and sometimes malic and phosphoric acid. MrChenevix found that English vinegar of specific gravity 1.0042contained more water and mucilage, but less acid and spirit-ous liquor than French vinegar of 1.00721. The best vinegaris that prepared from white wine. Vinegar should be of apale yellow colour, perfectly transparent, of a pleasant, some-what pungent, acid taste, but without any acrimony. Fromthe mucilaginous impurities which vinegar always contains, itis apt, on exposure to the air, to become turbid and ropy, andat last vapid. This inconvenience is best obviated by keepingit in bottles completely filled and well corked ; and it is saidto be of advantage to boil it in the bottles a few minutes be-fore they are corked.

Vinegar is sometimes adulterated with sulphuric acid. Itspresence is detected, if, on the addition of a solution of nitrateof baryta, a white precipitate is formed, which is insoluble innitric acid, after having been burnt in the fire. With thesame intention, of making the vinegar appear stronger, dif-ferent acrid vegetables are occasionally infused in it. Thisfraud is difficult of detection ; but when tasted with attention,the pungency of such vinegar will be found to depend ratheron acrimony than acidity.

Vinegar possesses strong antiseptic powers on dead animaland vegetable matters. Hence its employment in pickling.The fine green colour, so much admired in some vegetablepickles, is often improperly given by means of copper. Thispoisonous addition is easily detected, by the fine blue colourproduced, on dropping some carbonate of ammonia into thesuspected vinegar.

Medical uses. —Its action on the living body is gently sti-mulant and astringent. It promotes transpiration and thedischarge by urine ; and used moderately as a condiment, itfacilitates digestion.

XT* . 1

Vinegar is employed as a useful addition to drink in inflam-matory fevers, in the proportion of about an ounce to a quart.