Alcohol
The purely spirituous parts of liquors which have undergone vinous fermentation. Alcohol mixes with water in any proportion, giving out heat by the mixture; a mutual penetration of the parts takes place, so that the bulk of the two fluids when mixed is less than when separate. All the alkalies when pure, several of the neutral earths and metallic salts, sulphur in vapor, phosphorous, the essential oils, resins, gum-resins, wax, spermaceti, biliary calculi, etc., are, in different proportions, soluble in alcohol. The substances which are insoluble in alcohol are the alkaline carbonates; all the sulphates; some of the nitrates and muriates, metals; metallic oxides, and metallic acids; all the pure earths; the fixed oils, unless when united to alkalies, or converted into drying oils by metallic oxides; muscular fibre; the coagulum of blood; and albumen. Alcohol is highly combustible, producing intense heat without smoke, and for this reason is well adapted to burn in lamps for chemical and other uses. See FUEL.