This is an article of beverage in almost every country. The Chinese prepare it from rice, and the Americans from maize. We are also informed by Herodotus, that, in very early history, the art of making a fermented liquor from barley was discovered by the Egyptians. As the climate of England is not congenial to the growth of the vine, this species of liquor is perhaps more universal than in any other country; and it has therefore been denominated Vinum Britannicum. In the higher walks of society, it has, indeed, of late years, been nearly excluded: but whether this revolu tion has been attended with advantage, we shall presently have occasion to inquire. Malt liquors differ from wines in several essential points: they contain a much larger proportion of nutritive matter, and a less proportion of spirit; while they contain a peculiar bitter and narcotic principle derived from the hop. It would appear, that the extractive matter furnished by the malt is highly nutritive; and we accordingly find, that those persons addicted to such potations are in general fat1. Where, however, they are indulged in to any extent, without a corresponding degree of exercise, they induce a plethoric state of the body, and all the diseases consequent upon such a condition.

In order to understand the process by which they furnish nourishment, I must once more beg to refer the reader to the observations which are offered on the important subject of the digestion of liquids (97); from which it will appear, that a highly-concentrated extract will be left in the stomach after the removal of its watery part. This extract is, for reasons already stated, not very digestible; and will, therefore, require the presence of less inspissated food to promote its chymification. Ale, therefore, when taken without such precautions, is liable to disturb the digestive organs. The addition of the hop increases the value of the liquor, by the grateful stimulus which it imparts, and in some measure redeems it from those vices with which it might otherwise be charged 1. To those, therefore, whose diet is not very nutritive, ale may be considered not only as an innocent, but as a salubrious article; and happy is that country, whose labouring classes prefer such a beverage to the mischievous potations of ardent spirit2. These remarks, however, cannot apply to those classes of the community who " fare sumptuously every day." They will not require a nutritive potation of such a character; and light wines have accordingly, in these days of luxury, very properly superseded its use: but I am not disposed to extend this remark to its more humble companion, "table beer" I regard its dismissal from the tables of the great as a matter of regret; its slight but invigorating bitter is much better adapted to promote digestion than its more costly substitutes.

But it should be soft and mild; for, when stale and hard, it is likely to disturb the bowels, and occasion effects the very opposite to those it is intended to produce. Nor ought it to have too great a proportion of hops, but should be thoroughly fermented and purified. Sydenham always took a glass of small beer at his meals, and he considered it as a preservative against gravel.

1 This fact is so generally admitted by all those who are skilled in the art of training, that a quantity of ale is taken at every meal by the pugilist who is endeavouring to screw himself up to Ms fullest strength. Jackson, the celebrated trainer, affirms, if any person accustomed to drink wine would but try malt liquor for a month, he would find himself so much the better for it, that he would soon take the one, and abandon the other.

1 In the observations made upon the Bills of Mortality in the year 1662, by an ingenious citizen, concerning the increase of some diseases and the decrease of others, we meet with the following remark: - "The stone and strangury decreaseth from the drinking of ale".

2 I certainly do not agree with Dr. Franklin when he states, that the bodily strength furnished by beer can only be in proportion to the solid part of the barley dissolved in the water of which the beer was composed; and that, as there is a larger proportion of flour in a penny loaf than in a pint of beer, consequently, that more strength is derived from a penny loaf and a pint of water than from a pint of beer. It is the stimulus of the beer that proves so serviceable to the poor man, enabling his stomach to extract more aliment from his innutritive diet.

270. The great division of malt liquors is into small beer, ale, and porter.

271. The liquor called Ale was originally made of barley, malt, and yeast alone. We are told by one of the oldest English writers on medical subjects (Andrew Boorde 1) that those who put in any other ingredient "sophisticated the labour." "It is," he says, "the natural drink of an Englishman; but beer, on the other hand, which is made of malt, hops, and water, is the natural drink of a Dutchman, and of late is much used in England, to the great detriment of many Englishmen." There existed, for a long time, a strong prejudice against hops, which were considered as "pernicious weeds;" but it is now generally admitted, that they constitute the most valuable ingredient in malt liquors. Independent of the flavour and tonic virtues which they communicate, they precipitate, by means of their astringent principle, the vegetable mucilage, and thus remove from the beer the active principle of its fermentation: without hops, therefore, we must either drink our malt liquors new and ropy, or old and sour.

There are several varieties of ale, distinguishable by their colour: when the malt is slenderly dried, the ale is pale; or brown when the malt is more roasted or high dried.

1 The founder of the class of itinerant quacks termed Merry-Andrews.