A Practical Chemist John Stephen (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fair. 1st Edition. "A Treatise on the Manufacture, Imitation, Adulteration, and Reduction of Foreign Wines, Brandies, Gins, Rums, etc. etc." by "A Practical Chemist and Experienced Liquor Dealer" (John Stephen). 1860 1st edition; Published for the Author; Philadelphia. "Including 'Old Rye' Whiskey, 'Old Rye Monongahela,' 'Wheat,' and 'Bourbon' Whiskeys, Fancy Brandies, Cordials, and Domestic Liquors." "Based upon the 'French System.'" "The object of this work is to do away with the use of noxious and poisonous Adulteration, and to instruct the purchaser how to produce brandies, wines, Cordials, and other Liquors, equal in every respect to any foreign importation." The contents are grouped as follows: Wine; Imitations; Domestic Wines; Brandy; Imitations; Reduced Brandies; Cheapest Brandies; Fancy Brandies; Gin; Rum; Whiskey; Cordials; Bitters; Distillation; Rectification; Vingegar; Imitation Lemon Syrup; Orangade, or Sherbert; Tinctures; Essences; Orange-Flower Water; Color; Simple Sirup [sic]; Coloring for Liquors; Bead for Liquors. From the author's Preface: "In presenting this volume to those who are in any manner engaged in the Manufacture or sale of spirituous or vinous liquors, the author is confident that he has produced a practical treatise on the subject of which it treats that will prove useful to those for whom it is designed. It has been his study to combine with his own experience all the information which it was possible for him to obtain from men of practical experience and from widely-scattered sources; and to condense into a volume of small size and convenient arrangement, information which will render to every person who is pecuniarily interested in the business of which this work treats, a large equivalent for so small an outlay. Every well-informed person is aware that the adulteration of brandies, wines, etc., have been effected by the use of poisonous and deleterious compounds, to an enormous extent. This system is still in use, and will so continue until the 'French System,' which is almost unknown in this country, will fortunately take its place, - the French system of manufacturing, initiating, and reducing Liquors being based on scientific principles; which cause us to unite with the 'pure spirit' forming the 'basis' of all Liquors, those constituents and those only, which are found by chemical analysis to exist in the foreign liquor which we seek to imitate." Condition: Top/bottom spine edges are worn down with pieces of cloth missing. Shelf wear along the board edges. Cloth tears at cover corners. Both covers are firmly attached. A front blank end paper has been removed. The binding has cracked/split between pages 72 & 73. Pages 75-82 are detached. There is an inscription written in pen dated 1966 on the front end paper. The pages are mostly clean with an occasional page that has a light smudge/stain. A perfectly good reading copy with nice pages, though in Fair condition only due to the state of the spine ends, and the significant binding split.