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Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 82, 7 November 1872, Page 2

A scientific Frenchman of the name of Duclatre*has invented an ingeniously-contrived new apparatus for ascertaining the strength of wines, spirts, beer, and vinegar. His invention ie founded on the discovery that, if an alcoholic or acid liquid is allowed" to pass drop by drop through a vessel with a narrow neck, the drops are smaller in proportion to the alcoholic or acid strength of the fluid. From this observation the natu-al result is, that, in counting the number of drops formed in-' this manner from a volume of liquid of given dimensions, it become, possible to determine the strength of the wines spirits, or vinegar by the help of a table constructed to show the contents of the different liquids submitted to the test. The apparatus invented by M.. Duclaux is leased on two principles which form a counter-check on each other. • In the one a certain' quantity of fluid is poured- into .a, vase of ascertained, capacity*-and' the number of drops it contains is .carefullycounted till'it is quite empty. Intheeecond case a certain number of drops only is allowed to fall, and. then the volume of liquid'remaining in, the vase, which' ia furnished with a graduated eeale, is easily ,xead off. The tables are constructed on different principle?, but the one fornis the complement of the other, and both of them must agree in indicating fch* strength of the liquid ihw operated on.