Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-05-15
Adulteratlon of LIQUORS.


Some of the wild statements frequently
made, as to the presence of strychnine and
other active poisons in whlskey having been
recently made in a discussion in Brandon,
DR.. Case of that town applied to Prof Col
lier of the University and Prof Seeley of
Middlebury, for their opinions on the sub
ject. Prof. Collier replied
| believe that watering liquors is COM
mon practice in this country. | think a
large percentage of the more expensive
| spirits are simply manufactured from com
mon " high wines, and the authorizations
they contain are those other products of fer
mentatlOn which in the process of rectifyine
have not been removed, and of these, fusil
oil or amylic alcohol as it IS properly called.
Is perhaps most common and most injurious.
As to the mineral impurities as lead or cop
per, they come, | think, from the stills
and perhaps some acetlc acid from the
oxidation of some alcohol, and not unfre-
quently there may be potash or soda added
to neutralize this free or too abundant acid.
As to the alkaloids which we read so much
about as stramonium, atropine, strychnine.
etc, etc. think 1t all poppy cock, :" and
that the incorporate temperance people who
think to strengthen their attacks upon alec
mol oy charging to Its great sum of villany.
winch Heaven knows is great enough every
thing conceivable, are only wea kening their
attack and injurlng good cause
am aware, of course, that adulteration
Is practlsed even in this country, where
calomei, fannie acid, etc., are added for
deception, and | also know that cocculus
lndicus Is said to have once been, il not at
present. no unusual adulteration to certain
n lIlh oil h,.% I
other than unprincipled temperance orators.
Tor believing that 1t is used in this country.
VI course, you know that | cannot speak
positively in this matter, but | never heard |
OF strychnine being found in whiskey. and /
you know how readily it manifests its pre- |
sence even In small quantities.
with warm wishes for the legitimate tri- |
umph OF the temperance movement, but |
with little sympathy for the modern
methods adopted by its advocates. [ am.
with kind remembrances to the good people
of your Brandon Farmers and Mechanics
Club, Sincerely yours,
PETER COLLIER.
Professor Seeley replied
am convinced that the widespread i'm
preston thar authorizations of a poisonous
nature are added to liquors is an error. and
the sooner this error is corrected the better
Tor the cause OF truth and temperance. The
presence OF foreign substances in lia is
incidental to their method Of manufacture.
You ask it strychnine, added to the still
during the process of the distillation of
could possibly increase the Weld.
answer that cannot conceive it possible.
1t Is the sheerest folly to imagine this The
starch IN the grain can produce a given
amount OF sugar, and this sugar can pro-
luce only given amount of alcohol. Even
Il we could imagine that strychnine were
added to the still, it would stay there and
would not go over and mix with the dis.
Tiled alcohol.
speak from considerable experience. and
ay that have never found strychnine in a
ample of liquor which was designed for or ,
iinary drinking purposes. and challenge ,,
my one to bring forward any well authen- ,
heated ease where it has been found. Every ,
analytical chemist will scout the idea Of the :
presence of strychnine in liquors that have /.
'een distilled. What have said in regard
o strychnine regard to be true in refer =
nee to belladonna, stramonium, etc. !.
l do not intend to say that many alcoho-
&c liquors are not limitations of what thew a
urpors to be, but in making them the
do not use the deadly snLo !
tapces named.
But do not intend to say that did no,
nd any poison In the liquors you sent me
In the contrary, did find poison in every :
ne Of them. II was not strychnne, it was =
ct belladonna, but it was alcohol. a
Doctor, do tell the people everywhere tina. J.
Is alcohol that is doing the deadly vorl :
all our communities. This is the wolf y
hat is causing the damage. and do not let :
&c people overt themselves in chasing :,
tier squirrels and rabbits, but let Mi ;o;s =
hunting to the death this bloodv-mo!II p
svenef that preys no mercilessly mon au u
'ecious aocks. Yours most trulv' o"' n
dSxsy u. S.rLy. q