Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-07-30
CINCINNATI, June 1st, 1857.

CINCINNATI, June 1st, 1857.
Dear Sir Yours dated at College Hill,
May, 26th, was duly received, buta press of
professional business precluded my respon-
ding to it till this morning. You PROFOUND
several questions, relative to liquors, etc.,
inspected by me. will Try to answer
them as propounded. , .
/ 1st Question: -"What proportion of the
wines ipspectedare genuiue?"
Answer-Not one in fifty
End Q.-"What ingredients do you find
in the adulterated ?"
Ain port wines, as a basis; either wa
ter, cider, vinegar, or mixture Of water and
sulphuric aoid, With thejpieed. .elderbsr-
ries, privet berries, beet root juice, and log
wood. with alum, technically called sulphate
of alumina and potassa. Sugar to cover the
pernicious mixture; and sometimes I find
one or two per cent. Jamaica rum or neutral
spirits added, andmore frequently not one
per cent. of any kind of alcoholio-spirits, but
the. warming, stimulating influence Of the
liquor produced by some of the varieties Of
peppers or roots, added to the strong mix.
ture of water and sulphuric acid. >
The above are the ingredients of all the
port wine I have inspected this spring
Sherry, Madeira, Muscadel, ETC., are all, or
at least all that I have inspected, either mix
ed, or have as basis, water, cider, wort
made of pale malt, or mixture of sui phuric
acid and water to the acidity of weak vine
gar, with brown sugar, honey, orris-root and
neutral spirits, to-give it alcoholic per cen
tage.
The above is the character of two samples
of wine, port and sherry, that very recent
ly inspected, and which were sont from a
store, the proprietors Of which are honora-
BILE and high-minded gentlemen, who had
paid high price for their liquors, got them
out of the custom-house in an eastern city,
with an assurance that they were genuine,
and imported, and yet there was not one
drop or symptom of wine in either of them,
the one having its warming, stimulating in.
fuence from sulphuric acid and one per cent
Jamaica rumr and the sherry having six per
cent. alcoholic spirits impaired to it by heu-
trail spirits, with sulphuric acid, bitter al
monds, brown sugar, honey. These abomi-
nable mixtures are favored with various oils,
mixed to suit the flavor Of different wines,
viz: oil of lavender, cloves, cinnamon, ber.
gamot, rosemary, etc., etc.
81 Q.-"Have you reason to believe that
imported wines and brandies are adulter-
ated ?"
A.-Yes, I know them to be-. and can de,
monstrate the facts to any oneIwho has faith
in chemical Developments Fhave inspect
ed brandies Of various kinds and qualities
fresh from the custom-houses, have seen the
bills of the Custom House Inspector which
accompanied them, and was assured that
they we're freshly imported and yet the
chemical tests gave me corn whiskey, with
abundance of fousil oil, or the oil of corn,
as basis, with sulphuric acid, nitric ether,
prussic acid, copper, chlorOform, guinea
pepper, tannin or tannic acid, with some
times very small per centage Of good bran
dy added, and frequently not drop.
4M Q.-"Do you ever find whiskey i'm
pure ?"
A.-Yes, I find a great deal of whiskey
impure, adulterated with sulphuric acid,
pepper, copper, chloroform, strychnine, or
traces of it, with brucine, etc.
5h Q-"Do liquor dealers readily give
you access to their stock?"
A.-No; with the exception of few
honorable gentlemen, find, and have found
the chemical inspection of liquor an uphill
business. A large majority of the liquor
merchants of this city repudiate the law as a
humbug; if they permit any inspection, it
appears to be with great reluctance, while
others will furnish me with sample or two
of their best, but will not permit me gene
raj access to their liquors, knowing, as I
suppose, that they will not stand the test
Some of the largest manufacturing houses in
the city will not permit me to come into their
establishments in the character of liquor.
inspector. I have been informed that they
threaten to lay violent hands on me if at.
tempt to inspect their liquors on their prem.
ises. Some folks fight best on their own
dunghill, but I occasionally overtakc cask
of their pernicious compounds in retail es-
tablishments, to the proprietors of which
they sell them, and then inspect them
nolens rozens, as you lawyers say, and find
them not fit to make hog.slop. Such have |
found some of the firm of K-g&F F-t
against whom I have procured an Indictment
in our court of Common Pleas.
Ihad understood that N. Longworth Esq.,
was the largest native wine manufacturer in
the State of Ohio. I called on him several
times, but he denied having any, either
Catawba, Brandy, or Native Wine. have
inspected some native wines that was sat-
isied were a mixture of cider, wine, water
and neutral spirits. I am very sorry that
the liquor law is not more specific, but so
far as in me lies, 1 intend to inspect, and
those who object, must fight the State of
Ohio. Respectfully, etc.,
HIRAM Cox, NJ. D.,
M I,e,s,to. ,f dIcobo1sc To1unrs