Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-17

L HE E.IQuons OF CO NJ
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ~STiMULANTs IN
SICK Roop.-The vile art of rdu'.era'ing al
ccLolic liqnocs was practicti in Greece and
Rome more thvn two centuries ago, an then as
now, tie m.iicsl faculty denounced il. and la
mentcd the di6crity Of procuring pure and
wholesome stinulants for the sick. Hippo.
crates called attention TO the tricks Of the At
henisn vintiners four centuries before tho
Christian era. Gaien, someshat later. stsrnly
rsbuksd the vine merchants of Rene for tam
perirg with the iui:s Of the grape. There was
Ne istilledfliquer in those days. aad nsa Of
tbs subtitle p0isoss ss -.rsssnt used ~ liquor
mixers we're unknown ; but considering their
knowledge and opportunities, Iths adulssrators
OF the &C assic ages showed considerable ad-
~ro;tncss in their nefarious calling. Lead, lime.
gypsum, snd Sea water were put into new wine
BY the Roman deslsr., and it was bsiled and
ing il. taste end giving il transparency. To
tia day,,.ome Of the Mel,terrsnean wines ere
subjected to . similar process. Ali tho wines
Of Europe are more or less sdulterated before
commonly resAiiod ia this country. under the
MONIES Of Port. Sherry, Madeira. &c, s~loejuiee
decoction Of ~loogwood. ,ewdsr Of scassehu,
alum, plaster OF paris. lsai. litharge, carbosass
Of soda. Of! Of almonds, cider and bad rum, may
b mentioned ~ among their pleasant ingreii-
snts.
Bot il in the co ,eoction Of ''spirituoss H.
quors' thss ,hs aduit.rators ofthis generatien
s~rtiaular ' sxcel. The tricks Of tie Greek asd
Roman winners we're mere child'siplsy TO theirs
strychnine, sulphuric acid, sugar flesd, yalsp. p
opiatss. and = varisty;of pungent alkaliss. are
delesseies that enter into the composition Of
ordinary bsr-room liqnors, and som Of them
consist almost wholly Of psrnicious chemicals.
with . small admixture Of uarectifed spirit.
No wonder. under such circumstances that tav.
srn brandy. rum, gia and whisky. carry death
and nadnesr in their train. No wonder, also,
that ply sicians have lost confidence in the ii.
quors OF commerce. and are ar aid to use them.
stimulauts. however are as necessary In medi.
cal practice 10 fe briiugstor Oh, sras sno
dynes. or alternatives. or any other of the recog'
nized specifics in disease. The great question
is, can a pure stimnlant be hsd We soy i.
can. We assert that HosrRsrra's SroxAcn
Bir.ERr. the slchoho'ic basis Of which is the es
seUce Of sound Monongahelo Rye, is as puro :
timulaat as 1t Is pos.ibia for human skill tc
nanufacturo. I: 10, however, rcmething more
and better than this, to-wit A judiciously
modicated stimulant, in which the qualifying
ingredients ere the finest stomachic, spesiens
Alternative and antibilisus here's, roots ant
gums. These vegetable constituents modify
and control the effect Of the spurious elements
and render tho Bittels the safest. mildsst. and
most elective invigorant At present in use. II
may be remarkeu. perhaps, that this 10 an easy
thing 10 say but how is it to be prayed, Te
his We have only to reply that corroborativs
testimony flon high scientific sources, snd
from citizens Of good standing in every profes
sion and calling. extending over . period o,
mere than twenty Eve years, is st the service o.
whom il may concern. Volumes OF this testi
mouy have been published, and there remaini
~ least an equal amount IS yet imprinted. 70
I the melancholy con sequence. which ensuc from
,he sale Of uawholesone compounds bearing tn,
names ofthe various spurious liquors. the
powers that b are in some degree responsible
Deriving. IS it does, . large revenue from th,
il importation and msnuf aeturs Of alcholic bev
srsges. 1t 10 manifestly the duty Of the Genera
Government to protect the people a. far ~ pos
sible against the in troduction OF PoIsoss INT
their daily drink. Still more imperative 10 th,
obligatihn to snield the sick from the peril o
beng killed OF ~injures BY pernicious excitants
ADMINISTERED = ssDicNss. Inspection and tax
stion ought, il this matter. = 20 hsnd 10 hand
and in all cases of adultersted articles. instssl
Of being taqed. should b pksrRoYsp. Ever
tincture and extract containing, or purportini
TO contsin alchohoi. should % sxaminsd b
competent scientific men, and not permitted I,
oustA ~ RutVy III O0ok
sathOritauveiy certified. The sanitary inter
ssts Of the community should be paramount 1,
the financial Interests OF the Government u,
publ'c health being Of infinitely more impsr
tsnee than the public revenue. But NO suck
protsctivs supervision 10 exercised either BY h,
| central power Ct Washington or by the Stat,
governments. The lntsrna Revenue Assessor,
and Coilectors simply demand their tax. know
NC nothing about the wholescmsness or an
ne olssomeness Of the articles upon which It IL
iwhied. The Custom House Collectors insii
uvten payment Of the duties required By lsv
On imported liqusas. bu how much or how liz
tie foreign poison there may be in saeh cask O
punche0n. 1t 10 not their business TO ascsrtsi,
Congress seems 70 have entirely overlooked III
connection Of public protsction IL lsgislatinR 81
the liquor question. State Legislatures hev,
ben eqaally reniss. Many Of then have trie,
proaibtion. and failed. No one Of them. % Il,
- ~ are swars, has endsavorsd TO mitieAt,
The evils sf which they have al complained. 81
instituting 9 rigid system Of inspection. ",
should be GLAD to zee such . system adopted =
an sxpernent. Ii weuld at least prevent %
p-incipled dealers from palming ef upen Il,
worklng CLASSES, 70 m unlimited sxtent. Ia,
tilev suins which ali cur jerk, peor.heases. hos
pitfalls, lunatlc asylums, and innumsrabIs srsye,
with miserable victems. Were such 8 reeula
ton in force, ~ ohOald have NO mead a. evSlsi,