Abstract:Ever since spirits were discovered, around the twelfth century AD, men have assigned to them exceptional powers. Two main characteristics of alcohol have exerted a particular fascination: first, in spite of looking like water when it comes from the still, alcohol burns; second, it does not decay, and indeed it prevents bodies immersed in it from themselves going rotten.' These two characteristics were supposed to be linked to the process of production of alcohol, based on distillation, that means a separation,… Show more
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