1863 The manufacture of liquors, wines, and cordials

BONE BLACK.

23

ALKANET ROOT.

This root, as found in commerce, is usually much cU oayed internally ; it is in pieces three or four inches long, from the thickness of a quill to that of the little finger, somewhat twisted, consisting of a dark red easily separated bark ; it is reddish exter- and whitish near the centre, and composed of The fresh root has a faint odor and a bitter astringent taste, but when dried it is inodorous and insipid. It does not impart its color to water but to alcohol, and is used for coloring port wine and Stoughton's Bitters, &c. The red of alka- net is rendered deeper by the addition of an acid, and changed to blue by alkali. nally, numerous distinct fibres, and internally of loose spongy texture.

BONE BLACK

Consists of the bones of

animals, being burned

The particles are porous, and are com-

and ground.

posed chiefly of lime. Bone black is used in the manufacture of liquor for removing grain oil. and as a decolorizing agent. Both of these processes are detailed in another chapter of this work.