Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-10-27

which has the sufficient strength of al
cohol, irrespective of any other ingredi-
ents Other poisons, if contained in IL
quors as extensively as is commonly sup
posed, would doubtless hasten the person
al ruin of those who drink them; while
alcohol, having stimulating as well as
intoxicating power, is more ruinous to do
nestle peace and happiness, and vastly
more injurious to society, in the disturb
ance and crimes which it causes.
Medical men tell us, however, that al
coholic stimulants are useful in their
practice, and they demand protection
against the adulteration of such liquors
by law. To this demand / have no OBJ
lection. But if men will drink the liquid
fire, and if physicians must giveit to their
patients, it should not be forgotten that,
in it's purest state, it is poisonous agent,
and if used at all, it should be taken with
certainly not less caution than other medi-
cinal poisons, because it has proved go
much more dangerous and destructive
than ali others. +. r.r...t.. ........
During the past winter, to satisfy my
self and the public in regard to the purity
or adulteration of liquors sold at one OF
the agencies in Rutland county, for
which I was commissioner,--the liquors
of that agency having all been pronounced
by one of the best physicians as unfit for
medicinal use,-I required the SelectmeD,
as condition Of further sales, TO have
samples, including the poorest whiskey
as selected for that purpose, by the ply
stefan aforesaid, forwarded 10 profession
al chemist in New York, by whom they
were analysed, and found, according TO
his report, to be free from any ingredients
which might not properly belong to such
| liquors, although containing more or less
fusel oil, and trace of taunin, which
might have been received from the oak
casks. These, however, were only sam
pies of different grades of whiskey, as the
physician did not think it necessary to
send samples Of the wine and brandy, Of
which but very small quantity was kept
by the agent. 1t is probably true, how
ever, that very little, if any, of the wines
or brandies found at our town agencies.
drug stores, or any other places in the
country, are anything more than COM
pounded liquors.
Wishing for still further information,
with reference to the question of expedi-
ency of additional Legislation On this sub
iect, l had conversation, more recently,
with Professor Seely, one of the best
chemists in the State, who has had some
experience in the chemical examination Of
spirituous liquors, and have received from
him the following statement:
MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE.
Oct. GJh, 1870.
w. w. ATwATER,-Dear Sri take
the opportunity of communicating the re-
suit Of the analyses of liquors which l
have had occasion to make. | am con-
WINGED that the public is wrongly i'm
pressed in regard to the authorizations OF
alcoholic driBks. Substances, as tor in
stance fusel oil, which are imagined to be
added, are really present, in csnsc quence
IF the method of manufacture. ines
occur naturally, in the freshly pre-
pared alcohol, and are present III thu
whiskey, etc, because they have not been
completely removed by subsequent pro-
cess. Tire poison of alcoholic liquids l.
p1e Alcohol itself. As long as people drink
alcohol, so long they will be poisoned. l.
Is asserted that the effects Of liquors nov
drank are more decided and Injurious
than those formerly observed. If this be
| really so, l think we may assert that
habits and modes of life at the present
time render those using intoxicating
drink more susceptible to its deleteriou-
influence.
Chemical examination will probaJ y re-
veal no poisonous adulteration in any
liquor for sale at the town agencies in
the State. Some samples passed from the
manufactures may show an undue
amount of fusel oil, and, very rarely miu-
ute traces of copper and lead from the
distiling apparatus may be detected. But I
as to wide spread deleterious adulteration |
my experiments teach me they do not
exist. l will transcribe from my note
book the results of the analyses of fifteen |
samples-mure or less-of the liquors
most commonly sold, giving in per cent
age TIE dLlOuut Vi PuAC aACo4OA ~ Cs1''Ais l
viz, Whisky 46.5. Brandy 81, Rum 50, !
Gin 80, Wine 20, Alcohol 1915 per cent. /
The value of sample of wine depend /
rather upon it's flavor and bouquet than
its amount of alcohol. The alcohol which /
i sold a. containing 80 per cent. alcohol, !
l have never found so strong as this, |
though l have examined excellent piles |
That having 81 and 90 per cent. j. the /
best that can he found IN market.
Yours truly,
HENRY II. SEELY.
The conclusion is, therefore, that while
other poisons may slay their hundreds, |
alcohol Stays its millions, and while legis-
lation to protect the sick against impure
liquors in town agencies may be proper /.
the State is under vastly greater obi |
cations to protect tho multItudes of its
well citizens from the more dangerous ex-
posures to the ruinous effects of the COM
mon traffic in intoxicating drinks, r
maintaining the strongest law age ms,
such traffic, and providing the mos rigid
measures for its thorough and imDartial
execution. Wv
FairhaveD, VT, Oct. 1870.
Vermont Medical Society.
The fifty-geyeuth annual s.ts:o,. 80 a :