Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1857-08-12
WHAT MEN DRINK.

A story has been going the rounds of tho
| papers for several weeks, the gist of which is
contained in the following paragraph:
ssIn the manufacture of brandy from raw
| spirits, certain article called "esscncc of
brandy" is sometimes used, which, in its pro-
perties is nearly allied 10 prussic acid, and q
drop or two will produce instant death. At
Toronto, Canada, a manufacturer Of brandy,
named Morris, applied bis tongue to prcpara-
tion of this essence with view probably to
ascertain its strength, and in less than sixty
seconds was corpse.''
From the various commentaries which have
been made in relation to this fatal experiment
of touching ones tongue to the sessence of
brandy it would seem that many of our edi-
torial brethren have extremely vague and
| indefinite idea of the nature of this strange
and potent "essence." We propose to en-
tighten them, TO the end that they and their
readers will have good reason to adopt the
s'taste not'' adage in relation to this and all
similar essences.
The true essence of all the alcoholic or in.
toxicating liquors in the world is alcohol it
| self. ''Raw spirit'' is simply alcohol, diluted
with water. Every other alcoholic beverage,
whether known as 'sspirituous or malt liquors,
wine," &C., is nothing more or less than alco
hol and water, commonly known as ssraw whis-
key''-and certain extraneous admixtures,
alias poisons. With this raw whiskey and the
appropriate compound or essence. all kinds of
liquors, rum, brandy, wine. gin, ale, beer, etc.,
| in all their variety, can be made to order on
very short notice, and OF any required degree
of flavor. pungency. or Intoxicating potency.
| The manufacture of these compounds has be-
come quite an important business, and some
of our chemists and druggists make their man
ufacture and sale speciality.
| The adulteration of alcohol, or the manufac-
ture of fictitious liquors, is as profitable to the
producer as it is killing to the consumer. For
| example, ten cents worth of arsenic or corro-
stiye sublmate, added to a barrel of rum, bran-
dy, gin, or whskey, will double its CONNER
cial value, that is, it will enable the dealer to
add to it barrel of water, and still have the
same potency to effect, or disturb, or stimu-
late the system ordinary glass, or drink,
| or dose.
But if the well-skilled manufacturer wishes
TO augment the power of his liquor to act on
| ILiS DEdiH stein rather tnan on
the digestive and circulating system, that is,
to intoxicate and stupefy rather than excite or
irritate, he has only to change the leading drug
| OF his ssessence" from 4 caustic to 4 narcotic
Instead of arsenic, cayenne, corrosive subli-
mate, phosphorus, ETC., he will use prussic
acid, stryclInine, henbane, belladona. etc.
a dollars worth of either of these drugs
will increase the potency of whole barrel of
alcohol, in whatever form or disguise it may
appear as beverage, one hundred per cent
Hence, if barrel of brandy, without sses-
sence," will amount, when retailed by the
drink, to one hundred and twenty dollars and
Dinety-six cents, eve allow halt giii 1or a
drink, price six cents,) one dollar invested in
pruSsc acid or strychnine will enable the same
barrel to bear an equal amount of water, while
each drink will s'make drunk come," equal to
the genuine article, and if the fiayoring and
pungency is carefully managed with extract of
Iogwood, burnt sugar, sulphuric acid, vitriol,
sugar of lead, grains of paradise, cocculus in
deus, hops, alum, horse-radish, ssbotanical'
juniper, lime, chamber lye, ETC., the ssmost
fastdious taste'' will not be offended, and the
sSconnoisseur'' will find his cultivated appe-
tency and sensuality fully satisfied, while the
dealer gets for his barrel of brandy two hundred
and forty-one dollars and ninety-tws cents
The paragraph above quoted represents tho
ssessence of brandy" which killed the Toronto
manufacturer. to be in its properties, ssvery
nearly allied to prussic acid. 1: is indeed so.
1t is as nearly allied to prussic acid as prussic
acid is to itself. The same experiment has
t ly the same result. Many chemists. physi-
| clans and epothecaries have accidently tasted
| the contents of a bottle containing prussic
acid, and sin less than sixty seconds were
corpses.''-Life illustrated.