Measurement, Instrumentation, and Alcohol Standards
This chapter argues that the economic implications and impact of the hydrometer can only be understood by examining the work that went into making it robust and trusted. The focus is on the impact of gauging by this instrument on the constitution and production of spirits. The story of the development and adoption of the hydrometer by the Board of Excise reveals that instruments designed for economic purposes are not unproblematic and need to be considered along with traditional factors such as the profundity of political debates, government policies, the actions of interest groups, and the pattern of social relations when accounting for social, economic, or technological change.
Keywords: excise tax, taxation, hydrometer, instruments, measurement, Board of Excise
Oxford Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.
Please, subscribe or login to access full text content.
If you think you should have access to this title, please contact your librarian.
To troubleshoot, please check our FAQs , and if you can't find the answer there, please contact us .