The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-04-16
READ THE FACTS.
AduIteratiOn OR Liquors
TFrom the New York World


From the New York World
It has already been said that the water
used in diluting or adulterating liquors
reaches annually in New York q tremend-
GUS total in gallons, while there is paid for
it at the rate of II cents q quart-money
enough annually to clean the city's streets
for at least three years. To make up for
ths- loss OF strength, pungency, color, con-
sistence, brIlliance, and flavor which the
wholesale introduction of substance held
to be IN itself harmless entails, Substances
not so harmless, both mineral and veQet-
able, are introduced, and these with an
organic change produced by a cheapIy
careless methed Of distillation give to la
uors their extraneous injurious qualities.
1t is held by some modern chemists that
| the evil effects produced by such internaix-
| lures or such chemical changes are prac-
tically Of slight Importance because they
must always be compared with the more
/ pronounced and apparent noxious effect Of
alcohol itself in the excess in which it is
so commonly used. But the weight of
modern scientific opinion seems to be 9TH
! erwise; attributes to fusil oil" an alcohol
produced too often in the distillation from
I'll starch sugars, not only poisonous mar
sotic properties and an invariably brutal
Izing effect upon the drlnker, but pres
ence in sufficient quantity in the cheaper
| grades of spirituous liquors to account for
| the wild beast phenomena that haunt low
| grog-shops. As brandies sold at bars are
IN one-half the cases limitations produced
by doctoring with brandy essences" ct al.
from corn spirit, they too frequently con-
| tain this fusil oil, which a genuine brandy
| can never possess a trace of. A careless
ness, which will be presumed to be willful
/ because it is cheap, forbids the complete
rectifoation of the spirit, and hence the
harmful intermixture. As to the extent
in which fusil oil is present in liquors
/ drunk in New York there is some evil
| dence. Sixty-nine samples of spirituous
! liquors taken at random from all sorts of
places in the city were examined Tor the
World some years ago. Eight of them
| contained no fusil OIL OF these eight, one
was gin, 50 per cent. below proof one was
a genuine brandy, diluted with water, and
! bought-at q frst-olass hotel. The others
were whiskys, and of them four were good
and two badly diluted. The remaining
sixty-one, or SO per cent. of the entire lot,
! contained the dreaded fusil oil. That
means for the brandies that they were all
limitations, and as these brandies were ta-
]
| and but one was found genuine, the extent
of imitation practised is apparent. When
a small quantity of spirits produce head
ache, nausea or giddiness, these effects are
| due as q rule to fusil oil. The nauseous
smell which appears when certain spirits
are largely diluted with hot water is often
| due to the same agent, IN itself more fetid
and nauseous A few more interesting
dalas may be obtained from the analysis
referred to. Thirty-six samples of liquor
were taken, half Of them taken from high
places and half from low places in New
York OF this number eight-ninths con-
| tained fusil oil, and one-fourth contained
| a large amount OF these last nine sam
! pies four were taken from first class resorts
| and FIVE from places of the corner saloon
class But it does not need large amount
Of this stuff to produce its bad effects
| Even the vapor produces headache and
giddiness. How many headaches and how
much nausea and brutallzation in $780,
! 600 gallons of spirits containing fusil oil
drunk in New York annually according to
the above proportions is a question which
statistics do not answer very directly,
| Indeed, it may be questioned whether
| there is any adulterahon-that IS to say,
any deception in this kind of drink-since
there has passed already into American
slang an acknowledgement of an invita-
ton to drink, common in some classes ei
society, viz, Name your poison"
A deliberate introduction of foreign sab
stance into alcoholic liquors is made nee
essary by their common and large dilutior
with water. Necessary, that is, TO suit the
taste and fancy of the buyer. The iusil
oil provides the quality for making him
drunk quick" required especially among
the patrons Of bucket shops and the like
but if the swallowing process is not &C
companied by an excoriation of the throat
and a stinging Of the stomach, which th'
limited quantity will provide, the liquor
is at once suspected of beng "tricked,
and that would never do. It's "tricked.
therefore, to prevent this untoward sus
Picion.
In the first place, it has lost its look
perhaps. If water in excess be poured
into gin the glassful becomes milky or blu
ish by the separation of the peculiar flavor
ing gums that stronger gum had dis
solved. Alum, the sub. caIbonate of potash
and sometimes sugar of lead when there i
any hurry, are used to accomplish Thu
result. Alum in some quantity, and sal
of lead rarely, remain IN the liquor. Oi
of vitirol is added to produce against thu
sides Of the glass the beads which topper
love. Rum and whisky are similarly
treated for beading. Diluted brandy anC
whisky have burnt sugar as well for colol
as for flavor. To color brandy log-wooC
is employed, but the especial use of THU
pleasant pigment is IN port wine, to whict
harmless elderberry also imparts such &
costly color Port wine also has alum fol
brilliancy and gypsum for clearness. Thu
much Is done to please the knowing eye
cooked at a wine glass at dinner and the
leYe-looks Of the boozy patron OF bars. The
mixers of straight drinks havea bug-beal
in the first test the drlnker makes of the
quality of his giassful by a cautious SIP
! lit be found not fiery enough or of sus-
picious flavor, a coolness may arise between
vender and buyer, be they wholesale OF
otherwise, which is to be carefully guarded
against, Cayenne pepper Is the prophy-
Tactic. 1t tickles the throat well and eats
out the coats Of the stomach better than
anything known 10 the trade except grains
Of paradise seed, q pungent spice whose
] only use Of any Importance Is to furnish
| the required strength for watered rum.
Sugar is used to give strong taste TO
! liauors Of various sorts. To flavor gin
! when it has been reduced to proper weak
ness mashed juniper berries, coriander
seed, 2rnss:c acld in the shape of extract
of almond cake) angelica root, and liquor
/ ice are added. Port VINE has orris root,
sweet briar, and cherry laurel water fer
flavor and oak sawdust for astringency,
while 10 keep it from souring lead is used.
80 make brandy says the Independent
/ Liquonst. take one pint of essence of
cogpac, fifteen gallons Of pure (oorn) spirits
20 per cent. above proof, half pint plain
white syrup; color with caromel" This
needs little explanation. The Essence
. of oognac" is made By cutting the oil of the
same name (which is an artificial prepara-
ton, green as to cOlor) into alcohol and
adding ammonia in small quantity, black
tea in large quantity, and mashed prunes
N larger quantity. White syrup" is su-
gar and water, and caramel Is burnt sugar.
] i I Ios Hsv.