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II. WHITE.

1. Sherry.-Madeira, from Madeira.

Marsala and

Zucco, from Sicily.

Lisbon,

Bucellas,

White Port, and

Teneriffe, from Portugal.

S. Elie and

Thera, from Greece.

Somlau and Edenburg, from Hungary.

2. Sauterne.-Chablis, from Burgundy.

Hock, from the Rhine.

Moselle, from the Moselle.

White Hermitage, from the Rhone.

White Capri, from Italy.

White Mount Hymettus,

White Keffesia, and

White Patras, from Greece.
Szamorodny,

Villany Muscat,

Dioszeger Bakator, and

Badasconyer, from Hungary.

Two supplementary classes may be formed of the sparkling wines, headed by Champagne, and including sparkling Hock, Moselle, S. Peray (Burgundy), and Voeslauer (Austria); and the sweet wines, such as the French Frontignan, the Hungarian Tokay, the Greek Cyprus, Visanto, Calliste, and Ambrosia, and the South African Constantia.

The natural differences between these wines would be very small; but by modifying in various ways the process of fermentation, by mixing, and by the addition of sugar, elderberry juice and other articles, the varieties which we now recognise are produced. Mr. Shaw's book gives a very full and lucid account of the details of these processes. Into these we shall not follow him, but shall pass from the consideration of wine in general to that of wines in particular.

The points Dr. Druitt endeavours to establish are three. First, that "natural" wines are superior to those partially fermented and hyper-alcoholised liquids to which, under the name of Port and Sherry, the British palate is now accustomed. Second, that the French natural wines-Claret, Burgundy, &c.—can be obtained good for drinking at low prices, i. e., from eighteen pence to half-a-crown a bottle. Third, that wines from other countries-notably, Greece and Hungary-are deserving of an extended use among us. The first of these points we may leave Dr. Druitt to discuss with the conservatives-who were themselves once, as he felicitously shows, revolutionists-in this matter. Upon the second we think that few will disagree with him who have tried the "cheap wines" as he has done; we only complain that he has so narrowed the limits of our choice. He has not, we think, made sufficient mention of the white wines of Burgundy and Bordeaux. Chablis may be a trifle too hard and cold; and the better white Burgundiesas Mont Rachet-are hardly cheap wines; but Sauterne is an almost perfect wine, and can be got very good at two shillings a bottle. The same may be said of the white wines of Germany; still Hock and Moselle are wines that have few competitors, and are so abundant as to be procurable at very low prices. We have drunk very tolerable specimens of these wines (from the Messrs. Gilbey) at fourteen shillings the dozen, and for twenty-four shillings they can be obtained anywhere of as good a quality as for daily use could be desired.

Our only reason for noticing Dr. Druitt's third point is, that we ourselves have gone over much the same ground as himself, and so can add our experience to his own. We will take the new wines in order.

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1. GREECE. We have drunk eight of the wines imported from this country by Mr. Denman, of Abchurch Lane, and have noted as follows concerning them.

Red Keffesia (20s.). Claret character, but very rough and astringent; even mixing with water does not soften it. Do not like it.

White Keffesia (20s.).—Sauterne character and colour, but very inferior to its type. Tolerable.*

Thera (24s.).—A Sherry like wine; soft; rather nice. S. Elie (28s.).-Like "South African" Sherry, minus the added brandy.

Santorin (248.).-A dry and astringent red wine; not pleasant.

Ambrosia (30s.).—Sherry character, but sweet; coarse and strong could not finish the bottle.

Calliste (24s.).—Of the same character, but much plea

santer.

White Patras (16s.).-Sauterne type; has a strong and disagreeable flavour, which some call tarry.†

On the whole, then, we are unable to confirm Dr. Druitt's favorable account of the Greek wines. They are certainly not luxuries; and for ordinary use, France, Germany, and Hungary afford us an amply sufficient variety.

2. HUNGARY. Of the Hungarian wines our experience enables us to speak in much less qualified terms. Their nomenclature and relative value seem at present in a very unsettled state. Let it be understood, then, that in speaking of their character we refer to them as named and priced. by Mr. Denman. We have drunk the following:

Hungarian Chablis (16s.).-A capital white wine, of deep straw colour, fuller and richer than its Burgundian namesake; the cheapest wine for goodness that we ever tasted. Villany Muscat (24s.).—A very pleasant wine, closely resembling a still Moselle.

Dioszeger Bakator (30s.).—This wine resembles Hock as closely as its predecessor does Moselle; but a twenty-four shilling Hock is quite as good as this at thirty.

Szamorodny (42s.).We were much disappointed with this wine, in spite of its lofty title of "Dry Tokay," and its

* This note was made on first tasting the wine; but on opening a bottle a few days ago, after our palate had become accustomed to the light wines of France and Germany, we felt inclined to change the verdict to "intolerable."

†There is some reason to believe that the Greeks dissolve rosin in their wines to make them keep better. If so, this would account for the occasional presence of a taste like that perceived in white Patras.

comparatively high price. It has no peculiar or high character, and is not worth half the money.

These are white wines, and now as to the red

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Visontaere (20s.).—A very light Claret; soon souring on being opened.

Ofner (248.).-More like the wines of the South of France; too heavy and sweetish for our taste.

Carlowitz (288.).-A Claret, with a slight chalybeate flavour; not a nice wine for ordinary drinking, but found highly restorative by convalescents.

Erlauer (30s.).-A delicious wine; something between Claret and Burgundy, and better than either at the price. Besides these we have lately tried some of Max Greger's Hungarian wines, of which we have noted as follows:

Carlowitz (32s.).—A much finer wine than Denman's at 288.; as agreeable as it is found beneficial.

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My own Growth" (42s.).—This is a Burgundy-like wine of high character; but spoilt to our taste by a scented flavour as if rose leaves had been infused into it.

Ofner (368.).-Quite worth the extra 12s. above Denman's price; a full-bodied wine, more like Beaujolais than any other we know.

Somlau (26s.).—A white wine, looking and tasting like Sherry, and with too little of distinctive flavour to please

us.

Edenburg (368.). This, on the contrary, is a superb white wine, with a taste and bouquet quite its own; if anything, reminding one of Bucellas.

We have also drunk two bottles of sparkling Hungarian wine from Max Greger's at 54s. The first was red, and too sweet; but the white variety is unexceptionable, and greatly superior to Champagne at the same price. Lastly we have just tried Denman's Badasconyer (24s.), which we omitted in our first essay; it is a neutral wine, nothing to complain of, but nothing to praise.

It will be seen from the above that the Hungarian wines are a real addition to our materials for choice in this quarter. The new commercial treaty with Austria will in all probability lower their price ere long; and as we are

assured that the country yields four hundred millions of gallons annually, there is no likelihood of the supply falling short.

We make no apology for introducing these matters into the pages of a Medical Journal; the diet of our patients must always be a matter of primary importance, and the fluid constituents of the daily food are of no less consequence than its solids. These "natural" (i.e., thoroughly fermented) wines supply a want which has been long felt. There are thousands of stomachs that cannot bear beer and the ordinary wines because of the sugar they contain. If the owners of these unruly organs cannot content themselves with water, they usually drink brandy. To them and to us it would be felt a real relief if we could recommend and they could take something less objectionable. Now this something we have in pure wine. It contains no sugar, and hence causes no acidity; it forms, with water, by far the best and pleasantest beverage for the healthy; and there is nothing like it—especially in the forms of Claret and Hock —for cleaning a foul tongue and sharpening a languid appetite among those who are sick. We believe that the discovery of the terra incognita of light wines will be to many, as to ourselves, a large addition to their own enjoyment and to their means of aiding those who are under their

care.

CLINICAL RECORD.

Sabina in Amenorrhoea and Anæmia.

By Dr. MADDEN, Melbourne.*

Miss S. P―, æt. 25: May 15th, 1865. Has been ill two years, during which the menses have been entirely absent; there has

* We are glad to learn that Dr. Madden's health is now completely restored, and that he is on his way home to this country, to settle, we understand, in London.

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