Stillatitiae spirituosae. Spirituous distilled waters, now called only spiritus, viz. spiritus pu/egii, etc.

All the virtues of distilled waters are owing to the essential oil they take up. Spirit of wine differs from water in keeping all the oil that rises with it perfectly dissolved in a limpid state: but yet as spirit of wine boils in about one-fifth less heat than water, it is an improper vehicle for substances that require the heat of boiling water. Thus, in distilling "cinnamon with a proof spirit, the spirit rises with very little flavour of the cinnamon; but when the water follows, it brings with it the oil of the spice. Various essential oils are in this way combined with spirit of wine, and sold as secret preparations, and under delusive titles. The essence of peppermint is of the former kind; and the essence of mustard, which consists almost wholly of oil of turpentine distilled with spirit of wine, is an instance of the latter.

Distilled spirituous waters are of the strength of proof spirit, and formerly were called compound waters, in contradistinction to those that consist only of simple or common water. The most agreeable spirituous waters are made by using a pure rectified spirit of wine, covered with a proper quantity of pure water.

When the distilled liquor is as strong as rectified spirit of wine, it is called distilled spirit. See Carmes, eau De.

The distilled waters formerly employed were very numerous, though attended with no real advantage: we still retain too many. The water of dill, that of cinnamon, fennel, peppermint, spearmint, allspice, pennyroyal, rose leaves, lemon peel, Seville orange peel, and cassia, still overload our Dispensatories; and those marked with italics afford a very ample supply.

The spirits of modern dispensatories were the spirituous waters of the former. We shall shortly mention them in this place, but return to them afterwards. Those retained by the London college are the spirits of carraway, of cinnamon, peppermint, spearmint, nutmeg, pimento, lavender, rosemary, compound spirit of anise-seed, juniper, and horse-radish.

Some spirituous waters have survived the rage of reformation, and still retain some credit. Aoua epi-demica consists of the roots of imperatoria, with the seeds of angelica, and the fiowers of elder, distilled from French brandy. Hungary water is the spirit of rosemary. Aqua odorifera, honey water, is prepared from honey, coriander seeds, vanillos, cloves, nutmegs, lemon peel, storax, and benzoin, distilled from spirit of wine, previously adding spirit of roses and orange flower water. The aqua vulnerata, arquebusade water, is prepared from numerous aromatics, as thyme, balm, rosemary, etc. few preparing it exactly in the same way. They are spirituous and stimulant; used often as perfumes; and too often, we fear, as medicinal drams.

Modern nomenclatures give also the name of waters to solutions of salts, saline earths, and metallic neutrals. Thus we have aqua aluminis composita, formerly batea--na, consisting of two drams of alum, with as much zinc, to a pint of water; aqua cupri ammoniata, which is a solution of a dram of muriated ammonia, in a pint of lime water, suffered to stand in a copper vessel till it assumes a blue colour; aqua lithargyri composita, which contains a dram of aqua lithargyri, with as much spirit of wine, in a pint of distilled water, as will render common water turbid; aqua zinci vitriolati cum camphora, which consists of a quart of distilled water, with half an ounce of vitriolated zinc, and as much camphorated spirit of wine, but the camphor is precipitated, and its smell only remains.

The other solutions styled waters are, aqua calcis, aq. kali puri and preparati, aq. ammonite, ammonia purae and acetate:, and aqua phagedenica, which is a solution of half a dram of corrosive sublimate in a pint of Lime water.