In England during the Middle Ages the gallon was a variable measure. It was defined as the amount of wine that the king could drink in one hour without "spewing forthe his gullet, or voiding his bladder". In practice it meant that once a year the king had to drink nothing but wine over one hour until he threw up. This was not the king's favorite royal duty. The measure varied widely from king to king. The biggest measure of a gallon was during the reign of Alfred the Great, when Alfred drank 10 tankards of wine during the hour. This translates to a modern measure of a gallon and a half. After this feat it was recorded that the king threw up for one minute and a half without stopping.