The Way of Making Vinegar in France, Communicated to the Publisher, by an Ingenious Physitian of That Nation, Living at a Place, Where Much of It is Made

This Salt-work hath also beneath it certain Salt-springs, whence the Saltwater is by Channels conveyed to several places, where 'tis boyled to Salt. But there is yet another Mineral Salt-work in Poland, viz. at Bochna; but not so well order'd, as the former. Besides there are divers other places in Poland, and in Russia also, which yield Salt; as at Holitz, Colomeja, Solum, Piniz, Ofsventz, &c. In the Podolian desert, near the River Borifthenes, is a Salt-lake, whose water is by the heat of the Sun wasted, and turn'd to Salt, so that the people there ride into it with Horses and Waggons, like unto Ice, and cut it into pieces, and carry it away; as the Polish Historian Cromerus at large relateth; who also affirms, that in the aforesaid Salt-work at Bochna they find a Frozen substance, which by them is called Carbuncle, used by the people to purge their Bodies, by grating and drinking it in a convenient vehicle. The Way of making Vinegar in France, Communicated to the Publisher, by an Ingenious Physician of that Nation, living at a place, where much of it is made. They take two great Casks, within each of which they put at the bottom a Trevet, which must be one foot high, and as large, as the largeness of the Cask permits. Upon this Trevet they put Vine twiggs, whereon they lay a substance call'd Rape, with which they fill both Vessels within half a foot from the top. This Rape is nothing else, but the wood or stalks of the Clusters of Grapes, dried and freed from the Grapes. The Trevet and the Vine-branches are put at the bottom of the Casks, only to keep the Rape from setting at the bottom. It is this Rape, which alone heats and fowrs the Wine. The two Vessels Vessels being almost quite filled with the Rape, one of them is filled up with Wine, and the other only half full for the time; and every day they draw, by a cock, half the Wine, that is in the full Vessel, therewith quite to fill up the other, that is but half full; observing interchangeable turns of filling and unfilling the Vessels. Ordinarily, at the end of two or three days, the half-filled Vessel begins to heat, and this heat augments for several days successively, continuing to do so till the Vinegar is perfectly made; and the Workmen know, that the Vinegar is made by the ceasing of the heat. In Summer it is a work of fifteen days; in Winter it proceeds more slowly, and that according to the degree of Cold weather. When the weather is hottest, the wine must be drawn twice a day, to put it out of one Vessel into the other. It is only the half filled Cask that heats, and as soon as you have done filling up, its heat is choaked and stopped for the time, and the other Cask, which is unfilled, begins to heat. The full Vessel is quite open at the top; but a wooden cover is put on the Vessel, that is but half full. The best Wine makes the best Vinegar; but yet they make good Vinegar of Wine that is turned. The Wine, in changing, leaves a certain Grease, which sticks partly to the sides of the Cask, (and that they take care to do clean away) partly to the Rape; so that if they cleanse not the Rape from it almost every year once, the Wine turns into a whitish liquor, which is neither Wine nor Vinegar. At the time when they pour the Wine out of one Vessel into the other, a scum ariseth on the top of the Vessel, which must be carefully taken away. In the Casks, which have never served for this purpose before, the Vinegar is made more slowly, than in such that have been used already.