SC - Al-Cohol

[James Gilly / Alasdair mac Iain]

>From the quick ref:  Alcohol is an Arabic word derived from al kuhl, kuhl
being the powdered antimony used to darken ladies eyelids (kohl).  Arab
alchemists used it to describe fine powders some of which were prepared by
heating until outgassing then cooling.  It was generalized to mean a number
of substances including essences of distillation.

The first recorded use of the word alcohol is in 1543 and is used to
describe a heat derived powder.  "Alcohol of wine" appears in 1672.  Since
alcohol is an English word, a check of the OED should provide some of the
references required.  

As for the Arabic distillation of spirits, look for references to Jabir ibn
Hayyan, who improved distillation techniques in the 9th Century.  I think
this was the simple retort with a simple external condenser.

The chilled condenser which is needed in producing high potency alcohol is a
European design from about the 13th Century.  Apocryphally, brandy was first
distilled about 1300 at the Montpellier medical school by medical professor
Arnoldus Villanovanus AKA Arnaldus de Villa Nova AKA Arnaud de Villeneuve.

Bear 

> ----------
> From: 	Stefan li Rous[SMTP:stefan at texas.net]
> Sent: 	Sunday, November 15, 1998 12:27 AM
> To: 	SCA-Cooks maillist
> Subject: 	SC - Al-Cohol
> 
> Corwyn said:
> 
> >It is refereed to by Moslem alchemists as Al-Cohol MiLady...
> 
> This sounds like a urban legend. Referances or quotes, please.
> Dates? Or can someone tell me what that translates into in whatever
> language it is in?
> 
> Thanks.
>   Stefan li Rous
>   stefan at texas.net
> ==========================================================================
> ==
> 
> To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
> Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".
> 
> ==========================================================================
> ==
> 
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================