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On 25 Jul 2004 03:24:01 GMT, (Gould 0738) wrote:

Here's fun item from the book Ship to Shore by Peter D. Jeans.

Has to do with the process of "proofing rum" in the old navy.
(Over proof? You may go "poof"!)

***********excerpt begins

The run arrived in England at 140 degrees over-proof; it was then reduced to
95.5 degrees under-proof by having water added to it in certain proportions.
This was done [editor's note: should probably read "tested"] by pouring a small
amount of the alcohol-and-water mixture over some grains of gunpowder and
igniting it, usually with a magnifying glass. If the burning alcohol then just
managed to ignite the gunpowder, the mixture was said to be "proof"; if it
exploded, it was "over proof"; and if the gunpowder failed to ignite at all it
was, of course, "under-proof". Proof spirit today is legally defined as that
which has a specific gravity of 12/13 (92.3 percent) at 51 degrees Farenheit.

**********excerpt ends

Funny how we jokingly refer to drinks with a high alcohol content as "high
octane", considering that the "proof of alcohol content" orginally involved
the degree to which the mixture accelerated or retarded combustion.

Amazon doesn't carry it and neither does Barnes & Noble.

Wonder where I can find it. Any ideas?

Later,

Tom