The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-08-19

IAN EXTRAoRDINARY CRIPPLE WHO
will believe ut this late hour o the clock,
when il Is about time to say good night
forever" TO all intoxicating beverages,
that a new "drink' has been invented
which, although far from being delight
lul to tho eye" or sickle to the palate" Is
nevertheless of such fascinating and
drunken nature that it threatens 10 super
sede gin, whisky and Jersey lightning"
as u popular source Ol intoxiCatiOny Such,
however, is the fact, and chemistry has
been put to her flercest agonies to compel
her, like the ancient PythOness of Delphos
when some mpetuous Alexander Is in tho
extrcmeties of his hte, to blab tho pro-
fame secret-and here II is.
Methylated spirit is alcohol which has
a certain quantity Of wood spirit and
naphtha added to II to render II nauseOus
and non.palatable. This process exempts
II entirely from the excise duty In Eng
land. 1t is prepared there for manuiac.
turing purposes, and q large portion OF
the tinclures and other medicinal prepar'
ations arc made with II. From mGthy.
lNted spirit sulphurlc ether is made
which retains the peculiar flavor impaired
to the alcohol. On good authority It Il
said that this ether Is extensively and
habitually used rs an Intoxicating bever.
age, and has snpplAnted and supplies the
place of rum and whisky in certain coun-
ties In Ireland.
1t is very startling TO learn that even
pure ether, which has long been admins
tered incidentally In small quantities rs an
anRsthetic, or Il powerful ditlusible slim
ulant, should bO drank as Il common bov'
CragC hut II Ia almost incredible that this
nauseous kind of ether should be parta'
ken of morning, noon and night, healths
drank in it, and bargains made over it.
The practice began about five years since
one Of the causes which led to its use be-
ing tho laudAhle efforts Of the Catholic
priests TO induce their tlOcks TO abstain
from whisky; another cause being the
Cheapncss Of tho new drink,
Its use Is almost altogether confined tC
the counties OF Londonderry, Antrim and
Tyrone, and prevails chiefly In the town:
of Draperstown, Maghera, Cookstown and
Armagh. The other manufacturers o
Dublin, EdinburgHnd Glasgow supply the
demand, md the consumers arc mostly
small farmers, and to some extent the
mill hands and other operatives. Tho
probable consumption Is about ten thou
sand gallons yearly, one manufacturer
sending to Belfast four thousand gallons
yearly.
Tho price OF methylated ether Is one
shilling and 8lXpcnce per pound, while
that made from pure spirit Is five shillings
per pound. There arc seven and n hall
pounds to the gallon; one gallon Of ether
will go as far Rs three and half gallons
of whisky. The amount taken Is not
small, as o medicinal dose Is one drachm
or under, and tipplCrs tako three or four
drains, unmixed with water, In which il
Is only slightly soluble The practice Is,
first TO take mOuthnl of water, then Ia
drink the ether, md then 10 take second
drink Of water lntOXichtiOn il moro
rapid but more CvNnacscCnt than that
produced by alcoholic drinks, and proha'
bly differs widely In It's character, resGm'
bling more the effect produced by tho in
halatiOn of nitrous oxide gnS.
Taken into the system it appears to bt
all eliminated through the lungs and pores
Ms no truce Is found elsewhere. The
drinker Is readily discovered by hi'
breath, which, however, Is not offensive
like tho breath of tho alcoholic drinker
There il no reason to suppose that the ha
bitual ether irinlSer inCurs moro III effect!
from It's 1se than from drinking alcoholic
liquors; indeed, in this respect It Is Ger
tainly less obnoxious than sophisticated
spurious liquors The small quantity 0
naphtha in mCthylatcd ether, although |
gives It n nauseoils flavor, does mt maxi
| / more iniuriOus--N J. Pd '.'' -