Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-16

THE ADULTERATION OF LIQUORS
The Legislature Of Ohio ut its last session passed
law, which we published months since, to prevent
the adulteraton Of liquors. 1t provided that the Judge
Of Probate should in each county appoint competent
chemist to inspect all alcoholic liquors imported
featured within the limits Of said county. The unadul
article was required to be placed in casks marked
pure" and heavy penalty imposed for selling liquor
that had not been inspected Ii impure liquor was put
in one of the authorized casks having the mark pure
the fraud punished by imprisonment in the Peni-
| tentiary.
We observe by the Cincinnati papers that in Hamilton
county at least there is much trouble in procuring
inspector. Mr. JOSEPH nj. LOCKE, excellent analyt-
cal chemist appointed but few days since sent in
his resignation. Mr. E. s. WAYNE another chemist Of
repute was appointed, and also declined Their
for declining to hold the office of inspector stated in
their communications to the Judge Of Probate. The
main objection is that the law provides legal standard
by which liquors shall be adudged pure impure Thus
Mr. Locke says:
" In the law we have not any thing to refer to q
standard for the different sorts of liquors. leaving the in
spsctor like surveyor with instructions to lay out land
claims, without any previous law regulating standard
measures.
Now, different wines of the same variety differ in
their character according to climate, soil, vineyards, and
products of the same vineyard in different years
for example, pure Madeira varies in its quantity Of alco-
hol from % to lS per cent And here may say the
manner at present pursued in ascerainng the cent
of alcohol is extremely defective for example, speci-
men of Sherry (brand before dstillaon had specific
gravity o.. 9ol9
p ~. s .,
1t is evident, If the per cent Of alcohol was to be
taken by the density of the wine previous to dstlation
(which is the usual method the indication would be
less per cent than the wine really contained the solid
alcohol in rendering the liquor lighter than water.
"This law also requires the inspector to mark liquor
pure and therefore free from all foreign compounds
Now, this is impossible, there many organic sub
which could be introduced into liquors which the
chemist has Of detecting, but would, neverhe
less be exceedingly preudicial the article The only
remedy that conceive would be for the chemist to
examine for all mineral substances, and those of the
ganic compounds which would be probably used and
could be detected, then mark the liquor legal"
Mr.. WAYNE, in the course Of his communication de-
cining the appointment goes into the matter rather
at length to show that the difficulties in the in
spectors way insuperable. We give some Of the
reasons: ...
"Firs that the trainers Of the law in attempting to
too much ground have made the law SO indefinite
that the inspector has been furnished with legal stand
ard The first section of the law says that if any person
shall aduterate any sprituous alcoholic liquors by
mixing them with any substance of whatever kind except
hereafter provided or if any person shall sell or offer
to sell any spirituous alcoholic liquors knowing the
same to be adulterated, shall sell offer to sell any
spiruous intoxicating liquor not inspected herein
after provided sc.
"Now there is designation made of what those SUBJ
stances shall shall not be- thus rendering the law null
and void. As mention is made of what may be added,
should the Inspector examining report therein foreign
substances, who is to decide whether it is lawful
lawful addition unless section 6, by which druggists
physicians and persons engaged in the mechanical arts
not forbidden to aduerate liquors for medical and
mechanical purposes, gives some qualification of what is
intended in section l !?
"a person who adulterates must have object in
view to deceive an innocent purchaser, but the dutng
Of alcoholic liquor either for medicinal mechanical
purposes, is not aduteration and consequently
ton gives no satisfactory explanation Of what in
tended by the word adulteration
In regard to imported liquors, it is a well known
fact to dealers in foreign liquors, especially brandies
they what be called pure alcoholic liquors,
(Which they must be in accordance with the law to pass
nspection.)
"All brandes contain more less tannn, ether, sc.
Wines ALSO pure alcoholic liquors; they contain
natural ethers sugar. ararc acid tannin, &c., peculiar
to the grape from which they made Standards for
the strength per of alcohol which they should
contain adopted by convention Of inspectors at
Columbus. Now, the per cent. depends upon natural
causes and will vary from to season. which makes
impossible to fix such standard for wine. think the
convention overstepped their authority in fixing their
standards the law does not do authorize them to
do it." .%-