The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-08-04
About "Bitters,n

To the EdttOr of the Press:
have been forcibly impressed with the fol-
lowing extract from the annual address of DIR.
Homer o. Hitchcock, president of the Michi-
gan State Board of Health, which 1 send ycu
for publication:
''The baneful influence which so-called spa
tent medicines" and especially those bearing
the name "bitters" have in securing recruits TO
the grand army of inebriates, is a matter of
common observation.
Some men drink these vile compounds, 1t is
true, inteligently, thinking it concealed or
an excused way of taking whiskey. but MANY
others. somewhat aiing, and for whom a neigh
Dor, or perhaps lazy or ignorant doctor has
recommended some "bitters'' take them in
ignorance, and continue to do so until the de-
PRAYED appetite has been generated and fixed
and the way down to confirmed inebriety is
straight and swift.
That might speak intelligently upon this
point have requested Prof. II. G. Kedzie to
make an analysis of two specimens of these
'bitters" give his analysis below:
LANSING, Feb. 4th, 1874.
H. o. Hitchcock, N. d., President of State Board
Of Health.
Dear Doctor.-I havs examined bottle of
brakes Plantation Btters'' and find it con-
tans 36f per cent of alcohol. / have also
examined bottle of "Hostetters Stomach
Bitters" and find it contains 4O4 per cent of
alcohol. Very respectfully,
r. c. KEDzIE,
Member of State Board of Health.
The doctor adds, "It is horrible to think that
sick and feeble should be beguiled by the prom
ise and hope of health to resort to the use of
these "bitters" rs"-persons, too, who would re-
coil from the habitual use of whiskey and rum.
Yet if they use these bitters according to d.
rection, and follow this course for any long
period of time, they are unwittingly on the
road to drunkenness. Any one would recog.
nize this danger, if advised to take "a wine-
glassfuP' of whiskey rum before each meal,
but when they do the same thing un armed.
they still run the same perious course so far as
the establishment of an alcoholic appetite is
concerned.
brakes Plantation Bitters contain q pint OF
poor rum, and four ounces of other material
for favoring, &c. Its use as o morning ap-
petizer. old soakers will fully appreciate.
Hostetter's Bitters are worse than brakes
as they contains more alcohol, and that more
nicely disguised with sugar and aromatics. A
bottle OF Hostetter's contains the alcohol of one
pint of whiskey."
DIR. Hitchcock, ito recommend to the egisla-
ture to pass law requiring that the manufac-
turers of all such "bitters," If they are to be
sold at all in this state, should put conspicu-
ously upon the label of each and every bottle
the exact per cent of alcohol in its contents?
This woald compel these vile compounds az
least to take their places with alcoholic drinks,
| where they belong. Let the failure to label
| each and every bottle of such medicines sold
| within the state be visited with condign pun
ishment, both upon the manufacturer and
| upor the seller"
The Legislature has wisely passed an act to
| prevent the advertisement and sale of drugs
| and medicines designed to produce criminal
abortion; but shall the state put such obsta-
| cles in the way of woman who would prevent
herself from becoming the mother of child by
debased and drunken husband, with all the
| possibilities attaching to that child of being
| idiotic, insane, criminal from inherited pre-
disposition, or arworse drunkard than him who
begat him, and shall it not put any obstacle in
the way of father or mother becoming un-
Willingly possessed of the drunkard's appetite
and unwittlngly made to bequeath to their off,
| spring the drunkard's entailments?'
| REFORM