STARCH, ARROW-ROOT, TAPIOCA, ISINGLASS, CAVIARE, THE VINE, WINE,
GIN, RUM, BRANDY, VINEGAR, INDIGO, GAMBOGE, LOGWOOD, TAR, PITCH,
CAMPHOR, MUSK, MYRRH, FRANKINCENSE, AND TURPENTINE.
What is Starch?
A white, powdery sediment procured from the bottom of vessels in which
flour or meal has been steeped in water. Pure starch is of a fine
white color, without taste or smell; it will not dissolve in cold
water, but with warm forms a jelly, in which form it is generally
used; it is made by crushing, soaking, and fermenting the grains of
the cereals, and then washing in pure water; the water is then
evaporated, leaving behind the starch.
_Sediment_, matter subsided to the bottom of liquors.
For what is Starch used?
To stiffen linen after washing; to make hair powder; and for other
purposes in the arts.
From what vegetables is Starch obtained?
All farinaceous vegetable substances afford it, as the potato,
horse-chestnut, &c. Starch being the nutritive part of the vegetable,
forms an excellent food for invalids, and constitutes the principal
part of arrow-root, tapioca, &c.; the different flavor of these
substances being derived from the mixture of a small portion of
foreign matter peculiar to the plants which yield them. Starch is
procured from potatoes by crushing them to powder, and then proceeding
as in the manufacture of wheat starch.
What is Arrow-root?
The starch obtained from the root of an American plant by
pulverization. It is often adulterated with potato starch, and the
latter is even sold instead of it, for the two kinds resemble each
other so closely that they can hardly be distinguished.
_Pulverization_, the act of reducing to powder.
_Adulterated_, corrupted by foreign mixture.
What is Tapioca?
Tapioca is another kind of starch, obtained from the root of the
manioc plant, which is cultivated in most hot climates, in Asia,
Africa, and America. A flour is also prepared from it, which is used
for making bread. It is particularly cultivated in the tropical parts
of America, and in the West India islands, where it forms a very
important article of food for the Negro population.
_Negro_, a name given to the black inhabitants of Africa and
their descendants.
_Population_, inhabitants of a place or country.
What is Isinglass?
One of the purest and finest of _animal_ glues. It is the produce of
several kinds of fish, but especially of the sturgeon, which inhabits
the seas of Northern Europe and America.
From what part of the fish is it prepared?
From the air-bladder, and certain parts of the entrails; these are
taken out while fresh, cut open, washed, and exposed to the air a
short time to stiffen; the outside skin is then taken off, and the
remaining part formed into rolls, fastened together with pegs, and
hung up to dry. The isinglass is then separated into threads of
different sizes, or formed into flakes. Immense quantities are
annually prepared in this manner in Russia.
What are its uses?
Dissolving readily in water or milk, it yields a mild nutriment for
the sick, and enters into the composition of many delicacies for the
table, such as jellies, &c. It is mixed with gum to give lustre to
silk and satin; it is also used in making court plaster, and for
clarifying various liquors. Gelatine, now much used on account of its
being less expensive, is a similar preparation, but of an inferior
quality.
What else does the Sturgeon supply?
Its roe furnishes the delicacy called Caviare, which is in fact merely
that part of the fish separated from the membranes and washed in
vinegar and white wine, and dried in the air. It is then well salted,
and packed up in barrels ready for sale. This is the method of
preparing it in Russia, where large quantities of it are consumed. It
is largely exported to Italy, where it is highly esteemed. It is
unwholesome, and at present the demand for it, except in Russia and
Italy, is very limited. The best is dry and of a brown color, and is
eaten with lemon juice on bread.
To what other uses is the fruit of the Vine applied besides drying it
for raisins, as described in the sixth chapter?
The well-known plant, called the Vine, has been an object of culture
from the earliest ages of the world, for the sake of the fermented
liquor obtained from its fruit; soon after the flood, Noe, who appears
to have been the first "husbandman," is mentioned as having "planted a
vineyard," and drank of the juice of the grape; in all those countries
where it flourishes, it is inseparably connected with their religious
rites, and wine, like corn, formed one of the principal articles which
they offered on their altars to the gods whom they worshipped.
_Husbandman_, one who cultivates the fruits of the earth.
_Altar_, the place where sacrifices were anciently offered
to some deity.
What countries produce the best Wines?
The wines of France are generally admitted to be the finest; the
principal ones are Champagne, Burgundy, and Claret. Of each of these,
there are several varieties, celebrated for their peculiar flavor;
they are generally named after the places where they are made. Spain,
Portugal, Italy, Germany, Hungary, Sicily, Greece, and California,
also produce their various sorts of wine, each esteemed in its kind.
May Wine be extracted from other vegetable bodies?
The word is appropriated in a more particular manner to the fermented
juice of the grape; but nearly all vegetable productions may be made
to afford wine. That produced from Apples is called Cider; that from
Pears, Perry. A kind of wine, called Mead, is prepared from honey and
water.
_Appropriated_, applied to.
What is Honey?
A sweet vegetable juice, collected from the flowers of various plants
by the bees.
What Honey was reckoned by the ancients the best in the world?
The honey of Hybla, on the east coast of Sicily, and of Hymettus, a
mountain of Greece, near Athens.
What other fluid is drawn from Wine?
Spirits; by this term is understood, a volatile fluid called spirits
of wine, or alcohol, obtained by distillation from wine, beer, and all
fermented liquors. It is colorless, and of a strong penetrating taste
and smell. It is of great use in chemistry; in dyeing to prepare the
stuff for receiving colors; and in many of the arts.
What is the vessel called which is used in Distilling?
A Still. It is a vessel so formed as to collect the vapor, which is
the spirit, or alcohol, separated from the liquid from which it is
drawn. This liquid product is itself returned to the still; and the
same process is several times repeated, till the alcohol or spirit is
sufficiently strong and pure. There are three principal spirits used
in this country, as gin, rum, and brandy.
_Product_, thing produced.
What is Gin?
A spirit procured from raw barley, oats, and malt, mixed together in
certain proportions: there are several varieties of this spirit, all
obtained from grain. The peculiar flavor of gin is given by infusing a
few hops and some of the berries of the juniper fir.
What is Malt?
Malt is barley prepared by being steeped in water and fermented, and
then dried in a kiln. It is used for making beer, &c.
Of what are Hops the produce?
Of a graceful climbing plant, the blossoms of which are used in making
beer, to preserve it and improve its flavor.
What is Rum?
A spirit obtained from molasses, the fluid which drains from sugar
while it is crystallizing.
What is Brandy?
A spirit distilled from any wine; but the best is procured from weak
French wines, which are unfit for exportation. Brandy, from whatever
wine it has been obtained, is at first colorless; different methods
are employed to give it the color by which it is distinguished.
_Exportation_, the act of sending articles from one country
to another.
What is Vinegar?
An agreeable, acid, penetrating liquor, prepared from wine, beer, &c.
To make vinegar, the wine or beer is made to undergo a second
fermentation, called the _acid_ or _acetous_ fermentation; the first
which the vegetable juice had to undergo, in order to convert it into
wine or beer, being called the _vinous_ fermentation. Vinegar is of
great use in cookery and medicine; the word is derived from the French
for wine, _vin_, and _aigre_, sour. The ancients had several kinds of
vinegar, which they used as drinks; but it is most likely that these
vinegars were different from that so called among us, and were more
probably a kind of wine.
_Acetous_, sour.
_Vinous_, wine-like.
What materials are used for the dyeing and coloring of our
manufactures?
There are many mineral and vegetable earths which furnish mankind with
different colors for beautifying their various manufactures, and
assisting them in the arts, &c. Some species of insects also come to
their aid, as for instance, the cochineals; these insects are killed
by the application of heat, and thus form the drug used for giving red
colors, especially crimson and scarlet, and for making carmine. The
beautiful and permanent blue called Indigo, is the produce of a small
shrub, two or three feet in height.
From what part is the Dye obtained?
From the leaves; the color is produced by soaking them some hours in
water, in large vessels constructed for the purpose; the sediment of
the blue liquor drawn from them is afterwards dried and sold in the
form of small grains For the painter, they are mixed with oil, or
diluted and made up into small cakes with gum water.
In what countries is Indigo cultivated?
It is native in both Indies, and in South America, where its
cultivation affords employment to many of the inhabitants. It also
grows wild in parts of Palestine, and is much cultivated both in Syria
and Egypt. It once formed one of the staples of the Southern States,
but has in a great measure given way to the cultivation of cotton.
Has Indigo been long known?
The culture and preparation of indigo were known to the Oriental
nations long before it was introduced into Europe. The inhabitants of
ancient Britain painted their bodies with the blue dye which they
obtained from woad, a plant which grows wild in France and along the
shores of the Baltic, and which greatly resembles indigo in all its
properties, except its brilliancy of color.
_Brilliancy_, brightness.
What is Gamboge?
The concrete resinous juice of a species of gum-tree, growing in
Cambodia, and other parts of the Indies. It is brought over in large
cakes or rolls of a yellowish brown color outside, and inside of a
deep yellow or orange, which changes to a pale bright yellow on being
moistened.
What are the uses of Gamboge?
Dissolved in water, it forms a beautiful and useful color for the
painter. It is also used in medicine. Gamboge is soluble in either
water or spirits of wine. Mixed with a blue color, it forms green, in
various shades according to the different proportions of the
ingredients.
What is Logwood?
The wood of a tree which grows in parts of America and the West
Indies. It is imported in great quantities, and employed in dyeing
purple and the finest blacks.
What is Tar?
A coarse, resinous liquor issuing from the wood and bark of pine or
fir-trees; it is in fact the oily juices of the sap thickened and
colored by the heat of the sun or by age; it is extracted for use by
burning the wood of the trees under a heavy covering of turf or earth;
the tar exudes during the slow combustion, and is collected into a
cavity dug in the ground for the purpose. Tar is exported in great
quantities from Norway, Sweden, and our Southern States.
What are its uses?
It is applied to the sides of ships and boats and their rigging, to
preserve them from the effects of the weather; it is used instead of
paint for palings, &c.; and sometimes also in medicine. A kind, called
_mineral_ tar, is also drawn from coal by the process of distillation.
Mineral tar is also found native in some parts of the earth.
What is Pitch?
A kind of juice or gum, likewise drawn from unctuous woods, chiefly
those of the pine and fir; it is used for nearly the same purposes as
tar in shipping, medicine, and various other arts. Pitch is properly a
juice of the wild pine, or pitch tree; it is of a glossy black color,
dry brittle, and less bitter and pungent than the liquid tar.
What is Camphor?
A vegetable substance, chiefly procured from a kind of laurel, (Laurus
Camphora,) growing in Borneo, Japan, and many East Indian islands; it
is also produced from other plants and shrubs, though in very small
quantities.
How, and from what part of the tree is it taken?
All parts of the tree are impregnated with camphor; but it is
principally extracted from the roots and trunk, by distillation; it is
white, and of a crystal form: its odor is extremely fragrant. In this
state it is called _rough_ camphor, and is thus exported. The Greeks
and Romans do not appear to have been acquainted with this valuable
drug; and we are indebted to the Arabians for a knowledge of it.
What are the properties and uses of Camphor?
It is a firm, dry, crystal matter, with a hot, sharp, aromatic taste.
It is highly odorous, and so inflammable as to burn and preserve its
flame in water; it totally vanishes or evaporates in the open air, and
in Spirits of Wine it entirely dissolves. Camphor has various uses--as
in fire-works, &c.; it is an excellent preservative of animal and
vegetable bodies, as it resists worms and other insects. In the courts
of Eastern princes it is burnt at night with wax. Its principal use
with us is in medicine.
_Preservative_, a preventive of decay.
What is Musk?
A dry, friable substance of a dark color, taken from a little bag
under the belly of a small animal called the Thibet Musk, which is a
native of the Indies, Tonquin, and China. It inhabits the woods and
forests, where the natives hunt it down. Musk is so strong a perfume
as to be agreeable only in the smallest quantities, or when mingled
with some other scent; it is used in perfumery, &c.
Is there not another Animal which produces a similar scent?
Yes; an animal of Arabian origin produces an odoriferous substance
called Civet, from which it takes its name of Civet Cat; there are
several species of this animal which produce it, but it is from the
Civet Cat that it is most commonly taken. Civets are found in all the
warm parts of Asia and Africa, in Madagascar, and the East Indian
Islands. It was formerly in high esteem, but is at present very little
used, except to increase the power of other perfumes.
What is Myrrh?
A kind of gum-resin, issuing from the trunk of a tree growing in
Arabia, Egypt, and Abyssinia; it flows either naturally, or by
incision; and is sent to us in small lumps of a reddish brown or
yellow color. Its smell is strong, but not disagreeable. Our myrrh is
the same drug that was used by the ancients under the above name. Its
chief use now is in medicine. The ancient Egyptians employed it as an
ingredient in the embalming of dead bodies.
_Embalming_, preserving the bodies of the dead from decaying
or putrefying, by impregnating them with aromatics and other
substances which resist putrefaction.
Where is Abyssinia?
Abyssinia is a large kingdom situated in Eastern Africa.
What is Frankincense?
An odoriferous, aromatic gum-resin, which distils, in the heat of
summer, from incisions made in the bark of the tree which produces it:
notwithstanding the great use of the gum, both in ancient systems of
religious worship and in modern medicine, authors have been much
divided in opinion with regard to the kind of tree from which it is
obtained; it is a species of turpentine tree belonging to an order of
resinous and fragrant trees and shrubs inhabiting the tropical parts
of the world.
For what was it formerly used?
The ancients burnt it in their temples as a perfume, and to do honor
to the divinities that were worshipped in them: it appears to have
been applied to the same purposes by people of all religions. Myrrh
and Frankincense were reckoned by the Eastern nations amongst their
most costly perfumes. We are informed by St. Matthew's Gospel in the
New Testament, that the wise men who came to Bethlehem to worship our
Saviour at his birth, brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Many of the primitive Christians were put to death because they would
not offer incense to idols. In the Catholic Church we still retain its
use in many ceremonies.
_Primitive_, early.
_Incense_, perfumes burnt in religious rites, or as an
offering to some deity.
What is the appearance of Frankincense?
It is generally imported in white or yellowish pieces, or drops,
which possess a bitter, disagreeable taste; it is very inflammable,
and burns with a strong, and pleasant odor. That brought from the
Indies is inferior to that from Arabia, and inclines to a reddish
color. The common frankincense is softer, more resinous, and possesses
less value than the former.
What is Turpentine?
The resinous juice of many trees, as the pine, larch, fir, &c.; it is,
in fact, the juice that renders them evergreen, and when in an
over-abundant quantity, bursts through their bark, and oozes out.
Common turpentine is that procured by incisions from the wild pine;
there are several kinds of turpentine procured from various resinous
trees; some are of use in medicine, and most of them in making
different kinds of varnishes, for preserving and beautifying boxes,
paintings, &c.
_Ooze_, to flow gently.
Is there not a tree more particularly designated the Turpentine Tree?
Yes, the Terebinth or Turpentine Tree of Palestine and the East. It is
one of the most common forest trees of those regions, and is regarded
with respect and distinction similar to that awarded to the oak in
England.
What part of it produces the Gum?
The gum, or rather the resin, distils from the trunk. It is called
Cyprus or Chian Turpentine, much of it being brought from the isles of
Cyprus and Scio, or Chios, and is procured, by incision, about the
month of July. This turpentine, owing to its superior quality, as well
as its scarcity, each tree seldom yielding over two or three pounds,
is very costly.
_Incision_, a cutting.
_Costly_, expensive.