Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1860-12-14

IL, happening 10 nave SOME Dlue llJmuS pa
per in my pocket, l introduced small piece
it came out red as scarletl Ithen called
for polished spatula, put it into a tumbler
containing, perhaps half gill, and waited
on it fifteen minutes-at the expiration of
which the liquor was as black as ink. The
spatula corroded, and when dried, was thick
ly coated with rust, which when wiped off
left copper coat almost as thick as if it
had been plated. 1 charged him on the
spot, under the penalty of the law, not TO
sell drop of it; took samples of it to my
office, and the following is the result of the
analysis, namely:
lst sample dark So per cent, alcoholic
spirits by volume, and 4 percent. by weight,
specific gravity, O,945. The tests indicate,
Sulphuric Acid, Nitric Acid, Nitric Ether,
PruSSic Acid, Guinea Pepper, and an abun-
dance of Fusa oil. Base, common whis-
key, not one drop of wine.
2nd sample (pale) "a per cent. alcoholic
spirits by volume, 40 per cent by weight;
specific gravity o,955.. This article has the
same adulterations as tho first, with the ad-
dition of Cdtchuc Remark. vii
famous CODcOCtlOuS'
As matter of course these articles of
liquor could not be sold without violation
of the liquor law Consequently l con-
demned them. They were purchased on
four months time. The purchaser imme-
diately notified the New York merchant of
the character and quality of the goods and
directed him to send for them; but instead
of sending for them, he waited till the notes
became due, and brought suit in our Court
of Common Pleas. l analysed the liquors
in the presence of Court and jury; showed
them satisfactorily that they were the per-
nicious, poisonous and villainous liquors
which had represented them TO be, and
the defendant gained his case triumphantly;
and Mr.. New York merchant vanished be-
fore could get States warrant or he
would now be learning an honest mode of
making a living at one of our State iusti-
turions in Columbus. was appointed to
the Office of chemical inspector on the 10Th
day of March, 1855. Since then | have
made upwards of 600 inspections of stores,
and lots of liquors of every variety, and
positively assert that 80 per cent. of all
that have analysed, were aduterated with
the most pcrnicious and poisonous iugredi-
ents. The business of inspecting against
the will Of men who are only governed by
motives of cupidity, have found an uphill
business. l have had more having, more
squabbing and quarreling with unprinci
pied things bearing the shape and form of
men made after Gods image, since have
been engaged in the capacity of inspector,
than had during half a century before
You may think | have heard it thunder
some; well, so I have. l am sc years old !;
but in all my recollection l have never heard
thunder that had the same effect on my
nervous system, nor anything else to affect
my sympathetic nerves so much as the sad
effects of imbibing the miserable connections
sold in our markets under the character of
healthy beverages, with which cocktails, "
"brandy smashes," 'mint juIeps,' &c, &C.,
are concocted, and which sent many young
men, under 30 years old, and sons of some
of our most respectable citizens, to prem
ature grave, during the winter previous to
my appointment; some of whom had not
been drinking three months! Not only
I I
who were not considered drunkards, died
during the same winter the horrid death Of
the drunkard with the Delirtunl IremeRS! !
These facts induced me to accept the un-
thankful appointment Since the appoint
ment, have, as physician to the Probate
Court examined upwards of four hundred
insane cases, two-thirds of which number
became insane from drinking the poisonous
liquors sold at the doggeries and taverns o.
our city and country. Many of them were
boys, from 10 to 20 years of age, some O
} whom were laboring under hereditary tain
and perhaps in many of them the men
tai arrangement would never have been de
veloped, had they not drank of these pois
onous decoetions. One boy, II years o.
} age, the principal support of widowed
, mother and little sister, was induced or
| the 4th of July, 1855, to drink some beer
( and from beer to the horrible "rot-gut'
f whiskey, kept in the low doggeries of ou
city. They all got drunk, and the boy re
< ferred to became hopelessly and incurabl.
insane, and is yet in the insane asylum a
: Dayton. In examining the case, for tn
| purpose of getting all the antecedents will
= it, learned that the grandfather of th
: boy died insane. think the probability
= altogether in favor of the idea that the in
! sanity never would have been developed il
! this case, had not these poisoned admiz
D lures acted as a powerful excitant cause
}, 1 called at a grocery store one day, wher
b liquor also is kept. A couple of Irishme
z, came in while l was there and called fo
n some whiskey; the first drank, and the me
: ment he drank, the tears flowed freely
s while he at the same time caught his breat
r like one sufocated or strangling. When h
Z. could speak, he said to his companion-"Oet
It Michael, but this is warming to the stom
Q achl" Michael drank, and went throug
d like contortions, with tho remark "Would'n
}, it be foine on cowld frhosty morningG"
S After they had drank, asked the land
+ lord to pour me out little in tumble
0 in which l dipped slip of litmus pape
n which was no sooner wet than it put on
! scarlet hue. l went to my Office, got m
v instruments and examined it. found
o had II per cent. alcoholic spirits, when
d should have had 40 per cent. to be proc
g and the difference in percentage was mad
i up by S1dphsric acid red pepper, pellitOr3
., caustic potasa, and 6rueine, one of the salt
of aucis Vomica, commonly called nur Vou
L