Gin which the term "Dutch courage" is believed to have originated. According to some unconfirmed accounts Gin originated in Italy. By the mid-17th century, numerous small Dutch and Flemish distillers had popularized the re-distillation of malt spirit or malt wine with juniper, anise, caraway, coriander, etc., which were sold in pharmacies and used to treat such medical problems as kidney ailments, lumbago, stomach ailments, gallstones, and gout. Gin emerged in England in varying forms by the early 17th century, and at the time of the Restoration, enjoyed a brief resurgence. Gin became vastly more popular as an alternative to brandy, when
Gin gang These are not to be confused with the uncovered ones which were called "gin−circle", "ginnyring", "horse−course", "horse−gang", "horse−path", "horse−track" and "horse−walk". In Scotland, Wales, and Warwickshire a gin gang was commonly called a "horse engine house". In 1976, 1,300 gin gangs were identified in Great Britain, and a few others in Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and East Germany. Most gin gangs were built from around 1785 to 1851, peaking in 1800 to 1830. The most recent ones were built in the Isle of Wight and Cornwall from 1845 to 1868. In the 19th century there were 575 gin gangs in