Thus, we say, an acetous taste; acetous qualities, etc. Wine and all vinous liquors are rendered acetous by exciting their salts and tempering or abating their sulfurs. See WINE and VINOUS.
The chemists mention diverse aceta, or acetous liquors; as, Acetum Alcalizatum; made of distilled vinegar, with the addition of some alkaline or volatile salt. See ALKALI.
Acetum Philosophorum, a four kind of liquor; made by dissolving a little butter of antimony in a great deal of water. Boyle.
Acetum, in medicine, etc., is the same with vinegar; the properties, uses, and preparation of which can be seen under the article Vinegar.
The word is pure Latin, formed from Aceo, I am sharp. See ACID.
There are several medicines in the shops, of which this liquor is the base; as, Acetum Distillatum, distilled vinegar; chiefly used in other preparations for dissolution and precipitation. See DISTILLATION, DISSOLUTION, PRECIPITATION, etc.
Spiritus Aceti, spirit of vinegar; made by drenching copper filings or spittle dust with distilled vinegar, then evaporating it till the fumes of the vinegar cannot be smelt; the saturation and evaporation to be again repeated, till the metal be satiated; which being then distilled, the spirit comes over. Its qualities and uses are much the same with those of the former, only more powerful.
Acetum Rosarum, vinegar of roses; made of rosebuds infused in vinegar for 40 or 50 days; the roses then pressed out, and the vinegar preserved. It is chiefly used by way of embrocation on the head and temples, in the headache.
After the same manner is made Acetum Sambucinum, vinegar of elders; Acetum Anthosamm, vinegar of rosemary, etc.
The German dispensatories abound with medicated vinegars, chiefly aimed against pestilential diseases; but they are not used among us. The college retains some of them, as the Acetum Theriacale Norimbergense, but it is never prescribed.