New-York tribune., 1869-05-19
ADULTERATION AND ITS CoNsEQUEN
II CES.

deteriorated by unscrupulous men. Ages pefore
the art of distilling intoxicating beverages was
known, the fermented juice of the grape was
sophisticated by professional adulterators. Inc
Roman wine merchants treated the matter IN
business-like way. The Father of Medicine,
Galen himself, mathematical their practices.
They used lead to arrest the acetous fermenta-
ton, and boiled new wine in metal vessels,
subsequently adding sea-water and other vile
ingredients to increase the bulk and clarity
the article. To this day some OF the Medlter-
ranean wines are subjected to processes similar
to those in vogue with the Latin winners 1000
wears ago. There were laws then, as there are
now, against aduteration; and then, as now
thew were evaded or disregarded At later
date a tremendous struggle took place IN Ger
many between the physicians who applied tests
to detect the presence of poisonous metals IN
Teutonic wines and the wine-grOwers, who in
vented processes to defy them; and it was not
until comparatively modern period that
science got the better of deception.
The information on this important snbject
which has recently been given to the world by
eminent chemists is not therefore. new as re-
CARDS the main facts, though the details may
have heretofore been unknown to the general
public. Society was already aware that humid
reds of thousands Of its members were cTazed
and destroyed by poisonous liquors; though it
was not so well posted as to the nature Of the
deadly agents by which they were robbed OF
health and reason and sent to untimely graves.
Now that the community has been favored
with the full particulars men must determine
for themselves whether they will drink the
poisonous liquors of commerce or not. Those
whose physical and mental condition is such as
to require stimulating and tonic treatment-and
every medical man knows that an immense
multitude of the feeble and ailing of both
sexes are included in this category-havc again
and again been assured by competent authority
that they will find in the celebrated
Vegetable InvigoratOr, known everywhere as
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters, "a pure medical
preparation, adapted to the restoration OF
their health and strength. 1t is not, indeed,
beverage; nor intended TO satisfy the furore
for stimulants which the fiery compounds of the
bar-room create. IL is simply tonic, altera-
tive. and anti-bilious medicine the ingredients
of Which are unadultcrated product Of sound
rye and most approved specifics Of the botanl-
cal materia mcdica. In view of the history OF
adulteratiOn from the earliest ages to the pres
ent day, and especially in view of the recent
chemical revelations published by authority of
the Board of Health can any man or woman
who needs a medicinal stimulant hesitate for
moment between such preparation and the
contaminated and the unmedicated liquors in
common use as beyeragel One test superior
to all Others, and which cannot err, has been
applied to this preparation, viz the test of ex-
perience. For twenty years it has been doing
restoring, sustaining. For
moro than two thousand years adultcrated
stimulants have been working eyi-enfeebling
maddcning, and Staying. The record is anthem
tie and conclusive on both sides, and it is for
the iudicious and prudent TO decide between
the bane and the remedy Ii would seem, how
ever. that every rational being ought to prefer
a mild and harmless preventive and curative,
in small bus efficient doses, to long and fre
quent gups of active poison!
At the carousals of the ancient Egyptians the
miniature scmblauCe of n skeleton iuc!osed in
a coffin, was carried round the conviyial board
by a slave. and in turn presented to each guest.
Such reminder of the consequences of indulg-
ing in dangerous potations might be revived
with advantage in this age of civilization. Per
haps, if the same significant symbol of death
in the cupn were placed beside every dram OF
polluted liquor. many glasses of "wet dcstruc-
ton - that are now poured down human throats
would be left untasted
It's to be hoped that the world will one day
relizc the fact that even pure diifuSivc stimu-
lant can only be useful for medicinal purposes
and that in order to utilize them they must first
be combined with tonic and Alternative vegetable
substances. Upon the nature and proportions
of these substances depend the etncacy of all
alcoholic medicines. No raw spirit, however
carefully rectihcd and however free from adul-
teratous, can be freely aud frequently taken us
a common drink without evil consequences.
Think then, what must necessarily be the re-
suit of imbiGing, habitually and in large guam
titles, liquors containing fusiI OIL and other
deadly elements
1t would, perhaps, be unjust to say that the
hquor-mixers and those who retail these COM
pounds intend to harm their customers. The
same thing has been done from time immemo-
rial. Adulteration is considered branch of
trade. Those engaged in 1t do not stop to con-
slider its consequences. Possibly they do not
believe that the deeterious drugs they use pro-
duce the effects which science attributes to
Ihem I'm nther resnects thcY are-manY of