The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-07-07
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Analysis OF Confiscated
Liquors by Prof. silliman.
Under the laws of Connecticut, {
sheriff seized q lot Of liquors, on sus
picion of being adulturated, and fo,
the purpose Of ascertaining thei,
character, sent samples to Professo,
Silliman for his examination. Fo,
the benefit Of those who are daily
pouring intoxicating liquors into
their stomachs tor very soften in
firmities," and for the warning and
curiosity of others, we give the resul,
of the Professors careful analysis
promising that no mans authority il
superior to his:
OXIDE OF LEAD AND OIL OF vITRIoI
a., PORT WINE. ...z
find this sample to be q spurious
or imitation Of port wine. It il
overloaded with sugar and colorine
matter, and made deleterious and
poisonous by the addition of lead,
alum, and sulphurio acid, besides
various coloring and astringent
drugs. 5-f7s ,r,r--r
The weight, owing to these fabri.
cations. is made considerably over
that Of pure water, viz: LOLA, water
being 1000, notwithstanding its al.
cholic strength.
This imitation OF port wine con.
talns over 81 per cent. of absolute
alcohol by weight, or oyer rs per
cent. by volume or measure. Over
10 per cent. of its weight is sugar OF
molasses.
1t is decidedly acid to tests, owing
to the presence of sdlphuric acid or
oil of vitriol, of which it contains
100 grains to thelgallon, partly com
bined as alum, partly free. -
1t contains lead in the form Of OK.
ide of lead in poisonous quantities
This lead was probably added as
sugar Of lead for sweetness and as.
tringency, and has by It's decompo.
sition furnished oxide Of lead. 1t is
found In the clear filtered matter sus.
pended therein, and which the filtra.
ton removes, but in both forms will
find its way into the stomach Of
drinkers and do its work.
1t is hard to find vller or more
pernicious falsifcation of . WINE OF
liquor than this sample. Even its
coloriHg matter is false; its acidity,
stringency, alcoholic strength and
saccharine and extractivc matter are
all false, and, so far as thev can be,
deieterious or poisonous or both. Il
G u rUsIL OIL WHISKY. 90 III
|! This article was evidently com.
pounded IN imitation of whiskey
Besides alcohol and water, l find i,
TO contain lead, iron, sulphuric acid
fusil oil, a bitter stringent principle,
and sugar, besides some extractive
matters. 1t contains 40 per cent. oi
its weight ofalcohol, equal to nearly
S3 per cent. of proof spirits. 1t con-
tains lead in poisonous quantity as
oxide of lead. Every common sized
dram of it carries into the stomach
of the drinker enough of this sub
tic poison to induce when often re-
peated all the well known symptoms
oflead poisoning. Fusil oil has been
added in imitation of corn whisky
or "old Bourbon" Fusil oil is a del
eterious substance.
TURPENTINE GIN.
This liquor has obviously been
manufactured in imitation of gin.
Besides alcohol and water, il contains
lead, sulphuric acid, oil of juniper, oil
of turpentine, sugar, etc. The alco-
holic strength, as determined by dis
tillation, gives 38 per cent. Of abso.
lutte alcohol by weight, equal to 79
per cent. ofproof spirits, or it is 81
per cent. below proof.
1t contains oxide of lead in poison.
ous quantity. Every ordinary dram
Of the liquor holds lead enough in
solution to produce lead poisoning,
il it is often repeated.
Sulphuric acid, which is found in
all these liquors, is one of the sub.
stances used in the adutteration OF
liquors, for the purpose of giving
false strength and . stinging seusa.
tion. 1t is present in the second and
third samples in large quantity
There can be no question that in any
quantity sulphuric acid must be con.
sidered dcleterious substance.
Lead, which is present in all these
samples, is one of the most subtle OF
all metallic poisons. It accumulates
by small successive doses, gaining
power by each new addition. It is
well known that the frequently
repeated intr oduction Of even very
minute quantities of any of the
preparations of lead into the system
may, after q time, induce serious
symptoms, such IS loss of appetite,
great thirst, metallic tasto in the
mouth, parched tongue and throat,
dull and anxious countenance, yellow
dry skin, more or less severe abdomi-
nal gripings, and a blue line along the
limo OF the gums.
These symptoms are frequently
followed by sharp pains in the ex-
trcmities, Muscular cmaciatien, and
paralysis.
l have ventured to add these re-
marks upon the symptoms of lead
poisoning, because l believe they are
not SO generally known as they
should be, and they appear in this
connection with the manufacture and
sale Of poisonous liquors, to hold mp
mirror, rejecting the frightful
image of sill the horrors which the
wretched victims Of such dram
drinking are sure to suffer.
The most graphic accounts of the
great fire at Constantinople fail to
convey an idea of it's horrors and
destructiyeness. More than 1000
houses were destroyed, and property
II q