Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-10-01
ImE LIQUORS OF COM

IL HE LIQUORS OF COM
nERuE.-PoIsoSoys sTlMULANTs IN
SICK gooN.-Ths vile art OF sdu'teratirs I'll
cot Ollie liquoos was practicsd in Greece and
Rome more thsn t~o centuries ago, and then as
now, the m.ticsi faculty denouaced ii. aud Is.
ne,ted the di6eulty OF procuring pure and
wholesome s.inulsn.. for the sick. Hippo
crates called attention TO the tricks Of the At
henian vintiners four centuries before the
Christian era. Gaien. somewhat later. stsrniy
rsbuksd the vine merchants Of Rome for tam
psrins with the Juice Of the grape. There wss
Ne distilled liqsors In those days. asd many Of
ths subtitle poisons q crescent used By iqsor
mixers we're unknown but considering their
knowledge and opportunities, tths adultsrstors
Of the sc AISLE ages showed considerable sd.
roitness in their nefarious calling. Lead, lime.
gypsum. md sea water were put into new wine
bv the Roman dealers. and ii vas bsiled and
left 70 cool in metal vessels, BY way Of improv
ing its taste xnd giving il transparency. To
this dsy some Of the Mediterranean wines are
subjected TO similar process. All the wines
of Europe are more or less sduiterssed before
they leave the "Hrst hands - and - to the stuG
commonly retallod in this country. under the
homes Of Port. cherry. Madsira, &c, sloejuics
decoctien Of loogwood. powder of cstechu,
alum, plaster Of paris lead. lithsrge, csrb ossts
Of soda. OF! Of slmonds, cider and bad run. may
be mentioned Is among their pleasant ingrsdi-
snts.
But il in the eoncoetion Of "spirituoss IL
quors" thst Ne adul ssrstsss Of this ssssnties
partiaular excel. Tho tricks Of tas Greek and
Roman winners were more ehilds,play 70 theirs
stryehnins. suIphurie asid. sssas u Iced, Jalap.
opiatss, and variety Of pungsnt alkalies. ere
dslssasiss that enter iato the csnpssisisn Of
ordinary bar-soom liqsors, and some Of them
consist almost wholly sspssnieious chemicals.
with small adaiaturs Of usreeti6ed spirit.
No wonder, uuder such circumstances, thss tav-
srn brandy. rum. gia and whisky, carry death
and na6nesr 10 their train. No wonder, also.
that ply sicans have lost confidence in the H.
quers Of commerce. and are afraa to use them.
6timuiants. however are ~ necessary in msdi.
cal practice As febrfugss, or eashastics. or sne-
dynss, or slteratives, or any other Of the reeeg-
nized specifics In disease. The greet question
is, can pure stimulAnt be hads We say il
can. We assert that Hos ssrrga's SroHAcn
BirfERr. the a,chohoiic basis Of which is the cs-
sence Of sound Monongahelo Rye. is % pure .
slim ulaut as il 10 possibla for human skill to
manufacture. l:is, however, something more
and better than this, to-wit A judieiousIv
modicatsd stimulant, in which the qualifying
ingredients are the Anest stomachic, aperient,
Alternative and antibilious hsrss, roots and
gums. These vegetable constituents modify
and control the effect Of the spurious elements
and render the Bitte,s the safest. mildest, and
most Elective invigorant At presest in use. II
may be rsmarken. perhaps, that this 10 an easy
thing to say but how is it TO be provedp To
this We have only 70 reply that corroborative
testimony fiom high scientific sources, and
fron citizens Of good standing in every profes-
sion and calling. extending over . period Of
more than twenty tive years, is At the service Of
whom il may concern. Volumes or this testi-
mouy have been published, and there remains
at least an equal amount as vet un printed. For
the melancholy consequences which enrue from
the sale Of unwholesome compounds bearing the
names Of the various spurious liquors. the
powers that be are in some degree responsible.
Deriving. - it does, . large revenue from the
nportation and manuf acturs Of alcholic bev.
srsges, il 10 manifestly the duty Of the General
Government to protect the people a. far a pos
sible against the Introduction OF Polsous into
their daily drink. Still kore imperative 10 the
obligatihn to shield the sick from the peril Of
berg killed OF injures BY psrnicisus sxc,tants,
administered q nsslcaxs. Inspection and tag
and in oil cases Of adulterated articles. instead
o. osisg taqed. should - SssraoYsp. Evssy
uncsofe and extract contaioing, or purpoPtinR
70 contain alchohoi. should Be- examined 81
comPesent seiensanc men, and not permitted to
60 INTO tqe nardet until ite purify hes been
authoritatively certified. The saicitarv inter
ests o. the eommsaity should Be paramount 10
tne nnsneiel Interests OF III, 0overnment-
public health being OF in6aitely more impor-
tanes than the publis REVENGE But no such
protectivs supsrviaiee 10 exercised either by the
eentrA power q Weshingten Or BY the State
governments. The internal Revenue Asseseors
and Collectors stmply demasd their tai, kuow-
ing nothing about the wholescmeness or m
wholesomensss o. the articles spon which II 10
Isvied. The Custom Hesss Collsssors insist
on imporisd liquors, bu how much or hcw liz
10 foreign psison there may b In eaeh eask Or
puncheon. II 10 not their business TO ascsrtaia.
Congress seems 20 hsve entirely ovsrlseksd its
ia o o. pesl.c pfcseetion 10 legislating ON
been equally reniss. Many Or them have tried
prohibition, and failed. No enc 81 them. . IA
= W ars swass. has sndsavored 70 mttisate