lame will not make anything
black, as a match flame will do.

=65. Use of alcohol.=--Alcohol will dissolve more things than water
will dissolve. It is used to dissolve drugs, varnishes, perfumery, and
many other things. It will dissolve even oil and fat. Tailors clean
grease spots from clothes with it. It takes water away from flesh and
makes it dry, hard, and tough. It will keep anything from rotting. In
museums we pour alcohol over pieces of flesh or plants in glass jars.
Then they will keep and we can look at them at any time. Thus alcohol
is a very useful thing, and we could hardly do without it.

=66. Strong drink.=--Some men use alcohol in a wrong way. They swallow
it as a drink. But men cannot drink pure alcohol, for it would burn
their mouths. They always drink it mixed with some water. Alcohol in
water is called _strong drink_.

=67. Why men use strong drink.=--Some men take strong drink to make
themselves warm, and some to make themselves cool. Some drink to keep
themselves awake, and some to make themselves sleep. Some drink to
keep themselves still, and some to make themselves stir around faster.
Men use strong drink really because it seems to make them feel strong
for a while. It does not make them stronger, but it harms the body and
the mind. Its alcohol does the harm.

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED

1. Sugar in fruit or in water turns to alcohol or vinegar, and a
gas.

2. The change to alcohol is caused by the cells of the yeast plant.

3. The change to vinegar is caused by another small plant.

4. Boiling fruit juice kills the yeast plants and then the juice
will keep without change.

5. Alcohol looks like water. It has a sharp and burning taste.

6. Alcohol takes water from flesh and hardens it.

7. Alcohol burns with a great heat and no smoke.

8. Alcohol is used to dissolve things, and to keep things from
spoiling.

9. Alcohol in water forms _strong drink_.

CHAPTER VIII

KINDS OF STRONG DRINK

=68. Wine.=--All strong drink is alcohol and water. There may be other
things to give it taste, but alcohol and water are always in it. No
strong drink is over one half alcohol.

[Illustration: =A glass of wine contains so much alcohol.=]

In olden times wine was the only strong drink. Men used to crush out
the juice of grapes and let it ferment. This made wine. But very often
they used the juice before it ferment