Daily national Democrat., 1861-02-27
No Strychnine in Whisky.

DR.. Hopkins, an eminent chemist of Bos-
ton, has lately published a work on the
Adulteration of Food &c, in which he posi-
lively contradicts the popular notion that
strychnine is used to adulterate either malt
liquors or whisky With regard to whisky,
he gives the result Of inv vestiSatons on that
subject 10y DR.. a. A. Hayes, State Assayer
Of Massachusetts, which We suljoin;
COS PoIscNoUs AND ALcHouoLIc SrIRITs,-
1t has been popular notion that poisonous
bodies, especially strychnine. are added 10y
manufacturers OF distilled spirits, as a matter
Of economy, of course, and to give a greatly
inferior article the appearance of good ar
ticle. Temperance lecturers have made a
great deal on this point, and have Iwelt
much upon it, launching some of their sharp
est arrows against it. If it were true, they
were surely in the right, and were doing
good service to the community in exposing
SO hideous practice But if SCIENCE exam
ining with its clear and serene eye, declares
that the practice does not exist then truth
and the cause of temperance can gam moth
ing by persisting in propagating an error.
DR.. A. A. Hayes has had his attention drawn
to the subject, and he declares that, from a
somewhat extended analytical observation
on spirits produced from gram in this coun-
try, he can find no go0d reason for tie state
neut that poisonous bodies, especially StrYch-
nine,' erit IN them. And this conclusion he
is careful to remark, has been supported by
the testimony of those who are opposed to
the manufacture, but who frankly admit that
no case has fallen under their notice at the
places of manufacture, which would lead to
eecn a5a inference in regard to the adding of
any deleterious body to the distilled spirits.
DR.. Hayes explains that the addition of nom
volatile bodies to the fermented worts, if
made, would not contaminate the spirits dis
titled from them; and it is probable that the
supposition in relation to the use of strych-
nine for the purpose of increasing the pro-
duet of whisky arose from the rusc of a fore
man, who wished to conceal the particular
charact cteristics of bis ferments in daily use.
"Prof Hayes has examined this subject
very closely, and he states, with the candor
of conviction, that tie spirits produced IN, this
col1trY Ia Serc6 as beverages are rcuarkable.
as a general Hing for their purity and free
dam from dny substances Which careful fccti-
fcdtjon can remogo. lie goes further, and
says: When through age and suitable ex-
posure the oils contained in them have pass
ed INTO ethereal bodies, and thus ripened the
spirits, they become equal in soundness and
purity to any products imported from abroad
and far less deleterious than most of the So
called hrandies Of the present time"
Dr. Hoskins follows this mp 10y saying "No
chemist, or scientific man of any reputation
has ever stated that he has succeeded in de-
tcctng strychnine. either in beer or whisky;
on the contrary, every one whose attention
has been directed to the subject has declared
that far their researches extend, there
exists not the slightest foundation for re-
port, which has nevertheless gained such eX-
tensive circulation and belief" lie states,
also, tha;-bctween American whisky eX-
ported TO France, and returned mixed with
vile beet-root and potato-spirit-as much as
sixty per cent, of the whole brandy import
ell into the United States is not adulterated
After this, the nick-namcs of "rot-gut,
"warranted to kill at fifty PAGES" and SO on
should be transferred from whisky to cheaI
brandy.