The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-11-27 00:00:00

arartacmanue.

THE ADULT:ALMON Ol DRINKS.
To Oa iditor.

A mottos having been Issued in your contemporary
to the effect that an anonymous letter on the above
=Wed could not be published, my attention wee at
mos drawn to a study in which I am greatly interested,
and to whisk I hays devoted worth time, I address
you, then, thinking It likely the author, whoever he
may Mor wherever he might hare penned it, may to
in • promition to enlighten your readers on this sub-
ject The lest paragraph bet one in a book I pur-
chased some months ago, pusliebed in 1881, boat now
oat of print, or was when I enquired for another copy
some little time sines, runs thus Will the doctors
who matinee to prescribe these vile compounds for
their patients please tell us which of the many drugs
here recommended are designed by them to cure the
dimness with which they are battling in the patients for
whom they prescribe them r the book concluded with
no lees than 348. I wish to point out that 181 of
them are harmless, leaving only 167. In my capacity
as a medical man I dare not refrain from stating that
at least 42 are medicine§ (drugs) in daily me, and
amongst them such deadly poisons as foxglove, hen-
bane, opis.attoll of vitriol, prussic acid, and strych-
nine—one too filthy to be mentioned. 040 SU
r
this be y trust Although the author at the
book in question, "Drinks from Drugs," states
that they are recommended in the different
recipes and directions contained in the books now is
my (his) poessesios for manufacturing and doctor-
ing the different kinds of beverages therein mentioned
(and also that at an Interview with no lass a p
than the Archbishop, of York, he thus addneessdr""Z
' Grace oa leaving Now, that is what you drink.
You think lon are drinking pare French wines, bat
your are drinking drags'" to which he replied,
ry quit have been thinking seriously of bloom
hag a total abstalem for louse time, but you have
settled It for me"). I camot believe anyone in our
toms has ever or would ever so manufacture or retail
such alcoholic bevereges, yet doubtless many, includ-
ing myself, would be delighted if those in the trade
in-DorMartour would assure you through las that they
never have and never will sophisticate their drinks.
By so dolma they would regain the mai kenos of their
customers ("now the tide le running m strongly
molest the inakeepers."—Licemed Triatnaliers' Gamete,
November 17th). Strictly speaking. as public analyst
for this borough. I know at Imet 45 per coat. of the
samples delivered to me for analysis ham been to mem
extent adulterated, yet I have only felt bound to
advise protestations to the extent of 18 per cent. The
case reported In your paper last week will be reed with
Interest side by side with the leading article in the
trade organ just menUoned of Saturday lad, from
which these extracts are culled —" Household gin.
Deane II de, unsweetened, • pure wholesome spirit,
mita& for domestic and medicinal use. It is recti-
fied at our own distillery, and Its value can be
proved by comparison, Strength Behar half.
Proof strength by distillation it is suitable either for
mixing with water or as • digestive or stimulant
without dilution. idessure—Six bottles °made one
gallon. Bottled and guaranteed by W. and A . Gilbey."
The public analyst said it (this label) my.Cfied the
whole thin, and that an ordinary purchaser would not
uadeoretaM the label (hall-proof strength by distilla-
tion) really meaning 50 degrees below p o 'f-i.e.. 15
degrees below the CI ,vernment standard for gin, bat
as the dilation is stated (whether clearly or not my
readers moist lades) an the label, it doge not constitute
an offence in the eye of the law. Now, if the entente
of " Drinks from Drugs" are not la the least
egeggeva It Is impoesible to foresee either the great
amount o/ damage moth • book must Inevitably do to
the traders in alcoholic beeriness or the drugs to the
omentutiose of their customer.. If it be, however,
a were oollectioa of hyperbolical expressions, the
sooner the publication of It is summered the better
for everybody. Had my name been coupled with the
visitors at the anneal cricket dinner, presided over by
our worthy borough member (reported fully in last
wades IWervest), I should have been at liberty to have
stated that I was not so accustomed to. in cricket per.
law seeing from the field unfortunately • maiden
over bowled by accident and scored against my side,
as seeing In the (hunting) field a maiden unfortunately
bowled over and her el& scored by accdrleat ; and that,
hilarity aside, all alcoholic beverages, by preventing
due elimination of all deleterious matters, caused the
body to increase In bulk and weight, Ai withered
especially In draymen sagged in the alcoholic trade,
who are notoriously unhealthy. end also that Nature
herself tolls us plahily the skin should be perfectly free
from the slightest undue colour. In °omission,
being a member of the Church of Borland Tempffsece
Society (son-shataining section), it behoves as. as a
matter of public duty, to put threes fade as deed, as
possible before your readers, more especially before the
, residents of the 17 village' around Dorebester d
those in the county town Itself, over have and
, superriaina foe yews as IlledloslOffioar of Health.
J. Dal) Y. 0.8.