Table II.—Table for finding the Specific Gravity of any Spirit at 60° Fahr., when the Specific Gravity at any other Temperature is given.

Water taken as 1000.
Specific gravity.Correction for
each degree.		Specific gravity.Correction for
each degree.
810to820± ·475910to920± ·434
820”830± ·473920”930± ·424
830”840± ·472930”940± ·406
840”850± ·471940”950± ·381
850”860± ·471950”960± ·340
860”870± ·466960”970± ·269
870”880± ·460970”980± ·165
880”890± ·456980”990± ·090
890”900± ·450990”1000± ·084
900”910± ·442

Thus, by making the proper ADDITION to the apparent strength per cent., when the observed temperature is BELOW the normal temperature of the instrument, or a corresponding SUBTRACTION, when it is ABOVE it, the strength of the sample may be determined sufficiently near for all practical purposes.

The following Table, taken from Loftus’s ‘Inland Revenue Officer’s Manual,’ will be found of great value in making these corrections, and has the merit of being easily applied.

An example will show how this Table is to be used.

Example.—If a quantity of spirit is of the sp. gr. 894 at 73°, what will be its sp. gr. at 60°?

Here the sp. gr. being between 890 and 900, we must add ·450 for each degree of temperature between 73° and 60°. The sp. gr. at 60° would, therefore, be 894 + (·450 × 13) = 899·85. When the temperature is below 60°, the correction for each degree must be subtracted. When, however, very accurate results are desired, and the necessary Tables are not accessible, the sample for trial must be brought to the normal temperature of the instrument, in the manner explained under Hydrometry.

c. From the SPECIFIC GRAVITY. The temperature having been taken by a thermometer, and the specific gravity ascertained by any of the usual methods, but preferably by means of an accurate glass hydrometer, it merely becomes necessary to refer to Table I, where, against the number expressing the specific gravity, the alcoholic content per cent., by volume, of the sample examined, will be found for 60° Fahr., subject to the corrections just referred to, when the temperature is either above or below this point.

If the precise specific gravity sought cannot be found in the Table, the difference between it and the next greater specific gravity must be taken for the numerator of a fraction, having for its denominator the difference between the greater and the next less specific gravity in the table. This fraction, added to the per-centage of alcohol in the fourth column of the table, opposite the greater sp. gr., will give the true per-centage sought. Thus, the sp. gr. ·96051 is not in the table, and the next greater number is ·96068; the former must, therefore, be deducted from the latter, and the difference (17) put as the numerator of the fraction, having for its denominator 191, the difference between ·96068 and ·95877. The fraction (17⁄191) ·089, so found, added to the per-centage strength opposite ·96068 in the third column, gives 33·989 as the true per-centage of alcohol in the given sample.

The per-centage by volume may be converted into per-centage by weight, by multiplying the former by ·793811, the sp. gr. of absolute alcohol, and dividing the product by the sp. gr. of the sample. The quotient is the number of pounds of alcohol in 100 pounds of the given spirit. Thus:—Suppose 1000 grains by measure of alcohol to weigh 950·92 grains, and to contain (see Table I) 40·63 per cent. by volume of absolute alcohol, what per cent. by weight does the sample contain?