Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1859-05-19
FOREIGN LIQUORS.

C5Hit pcISOH5 SteHl SLhI 10 sup
pose that Americans ere the only
people who understand the art O.
counterfeiting and poisoning liquors
Ohio distillors are mere beginners al
the business. Their chief art con-
sists Of adding a handful of strychnine
to bushel Of corn, in order to 10.
crease the quantity Of baldface. 4
skilIful European would save the
corn for the more useful purpose Of
feeding pigs and make the liquor of
other ingredients:
The Parliament OF Great Britain
takes considerable pains to protect
the public against the adulter4tions
Of food and drink, so injurious often
10 the health Of the people. An in
yestigation was had recently by Il
select committee OF that body, and
the report has just been made and
published. }Er. Normandy, who ez-
amined as to the aduliera;ion OF beer,
said thlt the publican who sells it
alulierates iE with COMMON salt to
Increase thirst, and with suiptate Of
iron, coculus ind,Cus. suiphate Of
ammonia, and extract of gen ian
COcuius indicus is used to produce
intozicstion, but is more injurious
than the Intoxicating effects Of al
cohOl in the beer There is a dif-
ference of fifty per centum Of pure
alcohol in the beer after It comes In
to the pubIicaE's hands Out offfy
samples Of draught porter and stout
examined. only one-third Of them
were the produce Of malt and hops
alone. The"miIdness. "5riskness,"
anil disguised acidity," even Of the
better samples, might be traced to
the aduiteration with foots sugar or
like ssCcahlrine matter, liquorice.
roasted quassia and sinking finings. .
Nicotine, alum, eopperas, acetate of,
potash, and vinegar, sre all used to
Ilavor and color the beer. Many OF
these substances are of a p-r1icious
cature. In gin, subcarbOnate of pot
ash and alum are used. and also sui (.
1hurie acid and oil of almonds. to
produce what is termed beading" or
when poured into the glass.
The "fUings' are made of fish fns
md fish skins, and frequently the
ats get into the tubes, and are poured
,ut with the fni0gs, 10 decomposed
into the beer barrels. 4
In the aourlsbiug seaport of Cette,
n the Soath of France, aud border
ng Gu the Mediterranean, the manu-
actura Of all sorts Of wines. from the
humble Port to imperial Tokay,' is
.aTried on extensively, without the
uice Of the grape. The imports of
his busy mercantile community are ;
uierior spirits, logwOod and Brazil
wood which leaves in the form Of
boice French, Spanish and Portu-
,ueSe wines, with the aid of sugar, !
linegar and other chemical admix-
ure. To the merchants Of Cette. it
matters not that the grape crop ,
ails; or, rather, it does matter
or their wines rises in price, and as
be failure Of the grade does not ,
fleet the price of bad whiskey, log
wood, etc, ETC., the increased price
# their wines is a perfect windtall
o them. Inferior malt liquors
without hops, We presume -are also +
Il demand for the manufacture of
.hoice wines. Thus it is that the
whole world Of ideal wine-bibbers ,
re Systematically humbugged.-
Bat Why should we enlarge on the ,
subject? 1t has been so thoroughly
'entilated that none can plead abso-
ute ignorance. The wonder is that
my man can ask friend to take a
,lass of wine with him without laugh
ng in his face we'll does he know
hat what he calls wine" from con-
7entional usage, is only a palpable
;beat. i