convert Wine in to Water

Apparatus.—Two claret (or wine) glasses and two
perfectly transparent decanters, one containing red wine
the other water.
Chemicals.—Permanganate of potash, pure sulphuric
acid, hyposulphite of soda.
If one gramme of permanganate of potash and two
grammes of sulphuric acid be dissolved in a quart of
(distilled) water a red liquid resembling wine is produced.
This liquid can be instantaneously decolourized by
pouring it into a glass containing a few drops of a
concentrated solution of hyposulphite of soda. A little
pinch of aniline dye, mixed into a paste with glycerine,
and stuck to the bottom of a second glass—(this device
permits of the gljiss being inverted or accidentally upset
without the contents being lost)—is sufficient to change
water to the colour of wine.
Decanter No. 1 contains clear water, decanter No. 2 the
permanganate and acid solution. One glass is unprepared
and one prepared as stated with the dye. The actual
presentation of any experiment will in general be left
to the taste of the reader. The usual method of procedure
in such cases as the above is as follows. One
of the guests or audience is asked to join the performer
in some refreshment. The guest is asked to select
one of the two decanters, and he will generally take the
one (»ntaining wine. On his pouring the contents into
the tumbler containing the hyposulphite of soda, it instantly
becomes colourless, and the water in the other
decanter is apparently turned into red wine on being
poured inte the second glass prepared with the aniline
dye. The glasses etc. should be immediately removed
on the conclusion of the experiment, owing to the turbid
appearance that the red liquid will assume after a few
minutes.
The mixtures are poisonous and must not on any
account be drunk.