New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-02-03
prITERATIoN and its CONSEQUENCES

A IT
Aau,.orot;on ia IA old as Commerce itself.
Nearly all valuable commodities, including 'he
nrecions metals with which the rest are pur-
chased have been at some time or other de-
Perforated by INSCRIPTIONS men. Ages before
the art of distilling intoxicating beverages was
known, the fermented juice OF the grape was
SOPHISTICATED by professional adulteratois. Inc
Roman Wine merchants treated the matter III
a busness-like way. The Father OF Medicihe'
GaIen 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 Medeterra-
mean wines arc subjected to processes similar
TO those in vogue with the Latin winners 1900
years ago. There were laws then, as there are
now, against adulteration, and then, as now,
they were evaded or disregarded. At @ later
date tremendous struggle took place III Ger
many between the physicians who applied tests
to detect the presence of poisonous metals in
tho Teutonc wines, and the wine-growers who
invented processes to defy them, and 1t was
not until comparatively modern period that
science fairly got the better Of deception.
The information on this important subject
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 crazed
and destroyed by poisonous liquors, though 1t
was not so we'll 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 on this category-have again ana
again been assured by competent authority that
they will find in the celebrated Vegetable IN
viooropt. known everywhere rs Hostetters
Stomach Bitters, pure medical preparation,
ADAPTED to the restoration Of their health ana
strength. 1t is not, indeed bererdge. nor IN
e. +laE fnp
which the fiery compounds of the bar-room
create. 1t is simply tonic. Alternative ana
ant-bilious medicine, the ingredients OF when
are the unauthorized product OF sound rye ana
most approved specifics OF tho botanical
ndteJia medicd. In view or the history
of adulteration from the earliest ages
60 the present day, and especially in view oil
the recent chemical revelations, published by
authority of the Board Of Health, can any man
or woman who needs a medicinal stlmulant,
hesitate for moment between such prepara-
ton and tho contaminated and the unmedl-
Gated liquors in common use as beverages One
test superior to all others, and which cannot
err, has been applied to this preparation, VIZ;
Tie test Of experience. For twenty years IL mas
been doing good-strengthening, restoring, sus-
tanning. For more than two thousand years
adulterated stimulants have been working evil
-enfeebling, maddening, and Staying. The
record is authentic and conclusive on both
sides, and it is for the judicious ard prudent
to decide between the bane and the remedy.
Il would seem however, that every rational
being ought to prefer q mild and harmless pre-
ventive and curative, in small but efficient
doses, TO long and frequent gulps of active
/ poison
At the carousals of the ancient Egyptians
the miniature semblance of skeleton, inc!oset
in coffin, was carried round the cOnvivia
board by slave, and in turn presented t
each guest. Such a reminder of the conse
quences of indulging in dangerous potation
might be revived with advantage in this ag'
of civilization. Perhaps if the same significan
symbol of death in the cup" were placed be
side every dram of polluted liquor many
glasses of "wet destruction" that are nov
poured down human throats wonld be left un
tasted.
1t is to be hoped that the world will one day
realize the fact that even pure diffusive slim
ulants can only be useful for medicinal pur
poses and that in order to utilize them they
must first be combined with tonic and aterativ.
vegetable substances. Upon the nature ant
proportions of these substances depends til,
efficacy of all alcoholic medicines No raw
spirit, however carefully rectied and howeve
free from authorizations can be freely and FIRE
quently taken rs common drink without evi
consequences. Think. then, what must neces
sarily be the results of imbibng habitually an,
in large quantities, liquors containing tuSel OF
and other deadly elements