43ol POU detestable habit, tbnt of tippling in ale-houses. — The proportions above stated are calculated only for small families, or such as cannot conve- niently spare a room, or procure a proper apparatus for brewing : hence, by augmenting the ingre- dients, as circumstances may re- quire, any quantity of pure and wholesome beer will be obtained. For the iniormalion of those, who may be totally unacquainted with the process of brewing porter, we shall add a short explanation of the manner in which the essentia Una and the colour are prepared. In order to procure t'le first of these ingredients, a quarter of a pound of moist sugar should be bo.led in an iron vessel, till it attain to the consistence of a il-ck, black syrup, which is remarkably bitter. — The colour is produced by boiling a similar quantity of moist sugar, till it acquire a taste between sweet and bitter : it imparts the line mel- low tint, that is so much admired in good porter. In preparing these two ingredients, however, it will be necessary to employ a small por- tion of pure, or of lime-M'ater, " to bring it to a proper tempej-,-" be- cause they will otherwise grow hard and dry, if suffered to stand till they become cold. The essence and colour, are added to the first •wort, with which they are boiled, and constitute the basis of porter. This preparation forms an agree- able and salutary beverage to most constitutions ; and, if it be mild, possesses gently laxative properties : — when bottled, and kept for some time, it acquires a high flavour, and is much esteemed, especially after having made a sea-voyage. A similar effect will result from sending such liquor to a consider- able distance by land-carriage. The POR bottles ought tobe carefully wa'shs<5,- and drained, till they become per-. fe6ily drj'. After being filled with the liquor, they are suffered . ti> stand for twenty-four hours, before , they are corked, so that the portect may part with some portion of its' fixed air, to prevent the bottles from cracking. At the end of that Ume, they should be closed with sound corks, which ought to be driven in, as closely as possible,' and to a depth from 1^ to 2 inches, in order to exclude the air. In regard to the relative salubrity o( Porter, and other Malt-liquors,, we liave already expressed our opi- nion, in vol. i. pp. 241-2. PORTLAND-POWDER, a par- ticular compound, the recipe for which was imported from Switzer- land, by an ancestor of the Duke of Portland. It consists of equal parts of Round Birthwort (Aristo^ lochia rotunda, h.J ; of Gentian ; of the tops and leaves of German- der, Ground-Pine, and Centaury; dried, pulverized, and sifted. These are to be carefully incorporated ; and one dram of the composition is- to be taken every morning in a gla^s of wine and water, tea, or any warm liquid ; after which the patient should fast an hour and a half. Such course is to be continued for three months without intermission; ai Uie expiration of which, the dose must be reduced to one half, and taken as before, for the space of six months ; when it is to be continued every second day, for twelve months longer. — This famoiis nostrum has long been held in high estimation, for its supposed cfhcacy in curing the Gout ; and though, in the hands of judicious persons, it undoubtedly forms a powerful alterative; yet it must be classed among those quack-uiediciuesj that by the length of
