Fig. 3 is a convenient vessel for holding about a quart of soda-water
or any other effervescing drink, all of which is not at once
required. A tube passes from the top to nearly the bottom of the
vessel, and when this is filled with aerated water, the expansive
power of the carbonic acid forces the water up this tube and out of
the spout when the handle is depressed and the tap opened, and when
sufficient is obtained, the tap can be immediately closed.
A very convenient apparatus called a “Gasogene” has lately been
constructed. It consists of a double vessel, into the upper part
of which a solution of any kind--wine and water, or even plain
water--is put, to be saturated with carbonic acid or “aerated,” and
into the lower one some carbonate of soda and tartaric acid. A tube
leads from this lower to the top of the upper vessel, which screws
on and off. By shaking the apparatus when thus charged and screwed
together, some of the liquid descends through the tube into the lower
vessel and moistens the soda and acid, which therefore act on each
other, and cause carbonic acid to be disengaged; this, rising up
through the tube (which is perforated with small holes at the upper
part), disperses itself through the liquid in small bubbles, and
causes sufficient pressure to enable the liquid to absorb it, which
therefore effervesces when drawn off by the tap and this pressure
removed.