M. Soemmering, in a memoir to the Academy of Sciences at Munich, states that alcohol in a vessel covered with a bladder, the latter not being in contact with the fluid, loses, when exposed to a dry atmosphere, much of its water, and becomes stronger; but if the vessel thus closed be exposed to a damp air, the alcohol attracts humidity and becomes weaker. In a second memoir the author states more particularly the effect of bringing alcohol into more immediate con tact with the membrane. If a bladder be filled with 16 oz. of alcohol at 750, and be well closed and suspended over a sand bath, or placed near a warm stove, so as to remain at the distance of more than an inch from the hot surface, it becomes in a few days reduced to p fourth of its volume, and is nearly or quite anhydrous. M. Soemmering prepares for this purpose calves' or beeves' i bladders, by steeping them first in water, washing, inflating, and cleansing them from (grease and other extraneous matters, tying the ureters carefully, and then returning them to the water to clear off more fully the interior mucosity. After having inflated and dried the bladders, M. Soemmering covers them with a solution of icthyocolla, one coating internally and two externally. The bladders thus become firmer, and the concentration succeeds better. It is better not to fill the bladder entirely, but to leave a small space empty. The bladder is not moist to the touch, and gives out no odour of alcohol. If the latter be below 160 &Anne, the bladder then softens a little, and appears moist to the touch. Bladders prepared as above may be employed more than a hundred times, although they at length acquire a yellowish brown colour, and become a little wrinkled and leathery. The swimming bladder of the salmon is not fit for these experiments. Alcohol of 72° was put into one of them, and after an exposure of thirty-two hours, it had lost more than one-third of its volume, and was weakened 120 : the alcoholic vapour was perceived by the smell. Of two bladders of equal size, into one was put 8 oz. of water, and into the other 8 oz. of alcohol. They were placed aide by side exposed to a slight heat. In four days the water had entirely disappeared, whilst the alcohol had scarcely lost an ounce of its weight. Mineral waters, and the water of wells, evaporate and deposit on the interior of bladders the saline particles which they contain. If the heat be conveniently managed, absolute alcohol may be obtained In from six to twelve hours. Solar heat is even sufficient to procure anhydrous alcohol. Wine placed in prepared bladders contracts no bad odour; it assumes a deeper colour, acquires more aroma and a milder taste, and becomes generally stronger. Spirits of turpentine of 75° contained in a glass vessel closed with a bladder, lost nothing in four years. Concentrated vinegar lost the half of its volume in four months ; the other half acquired more consistency, and had no longer an acid taste. The water of orange flowers was about one-third evaporated in a few months, appeared to have a stronger odour, and, consequently, had lost nothhw of its volatile principle. These experiments of M. Soemmering clearly the fact that bladder is impervious to alcohol, we have no doubt that on account of the little heat necessary to effect this rectification, it may be one of great economy, if an apparatus can be devised for conducting the process extensively and with little labour. For this purpose we would suggest that, instead of the ordinary animal bladder, the oesophagus of oxen should be employed, as exposing a larger surface to the air, and as more con venient for fixing into a suitable framing, which might be placed in a heated apartment, or, in warm climates, to the heat of the sun. Such an arrangement is shewn in the following diagram. a a are the oesophagus bladders, distended between a framing b b and c c, which is exhibited as broken away towards the middle, to show that it may be made of any convenient length or width. The bars d d connect the upper and lower pieces, and carry the pivots or axles which turn in the cross beams or supports e e, shewn in section. The upper side of the frame b b represents a sqiThre or round tube, in which are made cir cular apertures for the reception of the upper ends of the bladders a a, kept open and distended by wooden rings, and properly secured by cement. The lower ends of the bladders pass through similar apertures in the bottom rail, where they are cemented and kept closed up and secured from injury by a board screwed over them into the rail c v. We will now suppose that fifty (or any other number) of such bladders are fixed to a frame, and charged with diluted spirit, by means of a hose and nozzle connected to the cook f • that done, the cock f is to be closed. In the same manner let all the other fismes in the apartment or manufactory be charged, of which there may be any number. In 100 frames 2000 or 3000 gallons might be suspended. The whole should then be submitted to a moderate heat, as of the sun, or a stove, &a When it is found that the spirit has parted with its aqueous fluid in any of the frames, they are to be turned half way round on their pivots, by which the upper side b b becomes the under, and the cock being opened, the concentrated spirit may be discharged by means of a hose into suitable recipients. Instead of a movable or swinging frame, a fixed one might be used, by forming the bottom rail (into which the lower ends of the bladders are inserted) of a tube similar to the upper one, and fitting it with a discharge cock.
From the circumstance of alcohol boiling at a temperature considerably below the boiling point of water, many persons have supposed that its vapour might be advantageously substituted for steam as a prime mover of machinery. The first suggestion to this effect we think originated with the Rev. E. Cart wright ; but we are not aware of any attempts to carry it into effect previous to those of Mr. Howard, who took out a patent in 1825, for an apparatus for the purpose, and endeavoured with great perseverance to bring it to perfection, but, we believe, without success, as we cannot find that any engines of this description have been brought into use. The following description, with the annexed engravings, will explain the nature of the apparatus. A and B are two cylinders of equal capacity, communicating at the lower part by a pipe, or passage C. These cylinders contain a quantity of oil, mercury, or other fluid,
(which will not rise in vapour at the temperature to which it is to be exposed,) sufficient to fill the base of one cylinder, and nearly the whole of the other cylinder. Within the cylinder B rs a piston exposed above to the pressure of the atmosphere ; it has a piston rod, and is packed in the usual manner. In the other cylinder A is a thin metallic dish D floating freely upon the surface of the oil, or other fluid, before-mentioned. This latter cylinder has a toe, per fectly air-tight, fastened down upon it, and through a stuffing-box in the centre of the top, passes a tube E terminating within the cylinder in a small nozzle, pierced with numerous small holes. In the cover of the cylinder is a flap-valve G, which is opened by a rod H striking it ; the valve is kept up to its seat by a crane neck-spring above it ; the valve-rod works through an air tight stuffing-box I ; a safety-valve K is placed on the top of the cylinder. In the piston is an orifice fitted with a plug, by means of which the height of the fluid above the piston (it should always be kept a little above the piston) may be regulated ; and at N is a cock, by which the fluid may be withdrawn from the cylinders. The cylinders, and the fluid contained therein, are heated by a sufficient number of argand lamps placed beneath them; and the cylinder A, and the lower part of the cylinder B, are surrounded by a casing, leaving a small space between them, so as to confine and carry the heated air entirely around them. On the top of the casing is a chimney P provided with a register Q, the better to regulate the heat of the air within the casing. By means of a small force-pump R, which is worked by the engine, a small quan tity of alcohol is drawn from the condenser, and thrown suddenly through the pipe E on to the floating-dish D, which, being previously heated by the oil, or other fluid medium, on which it floats quickly, converts the alcohol into vapour, which, pressing upon the dish, and the oil on which it floats, forces the oil through the horizontal passage, and raises the piston to its highest point of elevation. The valve in the cylinder A being now opened, the vapour escapes by a tube S into a separate vessel, and is there condensed ; the piston then descends by the pressure of the atmostere, and the dish D is carried again to the top of the vapour cylinder A. e tube S is divided in the middle by a flat ring a of wood, cork, or other non-conducting substance, making an air tight joint, and is inserted into a circular tube, or hollow ring V V, from which a number of small thin copper pipes U U descend. The lower ends of these pipes are inserted into another vessel W, which forms a reservoir for the vapour when condensed. The liquid formed by the condensation of the vapour, may be drawn of by the pipe and cock €1. The outer and upper part of the condenser, has upon it a circular open basin X, which is kept supplied with water by a pump, or any convenient means. The small tubes U are each wrapt round with flannel, or other porous sub stance of like nature, the upper end of which hangs over the bason X into the water ; and, acting like a syphon, conducts the water over the surface of the tubes U, down into a vessel Y below them. Within the circle, formed by the small tubes, is a fanner kept in rapid motion by the engine, by which means a stream of air is thrown upon the wet flannel, and the heat is, consequently, more rapidly extracted from the condenser. Previously to setting the engine to work, it is necessary to withdraw the air from the vapour cylinder and condenser, which is done by means of an exhausting pump or sy ringe, applied at c, to a pipe with a stop-cock b fitted on the top of the condenser. The liquid to be converted into vapour for working the engine, is introduced into the reservoir at the bottom of the condenser, through a tube e dosed by a screw cap f. Fig. 2, shows a method of affecting the condensation by injection. The pipe • conveys the vapour from the vapour cylinder into the condenser g, which is formed of copper as thin as the pressure will admit of, and which contains a portion of alcohol, which may be introduced by the tube e as before, or by a funnel o and a stop-cock p on the top of g. A lifting pump h is put in motion by the engine, at the same time that the valve (in lig. 1) is opened, and the pump withdrawing a quantity of the alcohol from the lower pa of the condenser g, injects it into the same vessel at the top, after passing it through a pipe or worm i, the end of which k being pierced with many small holes, the liquid is dispersed throughout the vessel p, and condensing the vapour therein, falls with it to the bottom. Part of this liquid is again thrown into the vapour cylinder by the pump It, to be converted into vapour, as before described ; and part of it is again employed to condense the vapour, as last mentioned. The condenser g and the tubes connected therewith, are placed in a cistern which is kept constantly full of cold water. The engine above described acts against the pressure of the atmosphere, which also effects the return stroke of the piston. The following diagram presents an outline of an arrangement for avoiding this, and producing a double action. a a are the vapour vessels; b is the piston cylinder ; c the piston working horizontally. The arrangement of the lamps, injecting tubes, &c. is upon the same principle as before. The vapour is alternately generated with the two vessels a a, and withdrawn from them, and acts upon the piston through the medium of the oil or other fluid, upon which, or upon the thin copper floats d d, the small quantity of fluid to be evaporated is injected, as before described. The patentee states that rether or essential oils might be substituted for alcohol, although he considers the latter preferable upon the whole, as it is more readily and effectually condensed. We have seen an alcoholic engine, intended for a 24-horse power, in occasional operation at the Iron Works at Rotherhithe, where the patentee perseveringly continues his experimental efforts on the great scale.
ALE. The name given to a species of malt liquor. See BEER. ALEMBIC. The name formerly given to a common distillatory apparatus, now termed a still. See Atconox and DISTILLATION.