Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-11-23
vINEGAR,s vorARIEs.

ssCuIl>00 LA0te9o Victims - = singular
vice-Guzzlinx Diluted Acesic Acid,
Because IL ssDoes 'Em % Much Good,
From the New Orleans Democrat
"Do you know or have you ever heard why 1t
is that negro women drink vinegar" asked
. gentleman Of Times reporter one day last
week.
The scribe professed the profoundest ignor-
ance in regard to the matter, but he immedi-
ately set to work to find an answer to the ques-
ton. In the first place he inquired Of several
negro women if they ever drank vinegar.
eyes" said one Il drink it all the time, es-
pecially when am ironing, All the women in
our yard drink it too"
"Does it do you any good?"
eyes; it's cheaper than whisky, and it keeps
up person wonderfully. / don't know why
began it-because the others did, reckon. 1t
hurt me at first, made me feel sick at the
stomach, but when got over this feeling 1 felt
great deal better. It's especially good after
smoking pipe and leaves kind of cooling feel
ing behind"
How much of it do you take at a dose?"
About two tablespoonful. The first dose
took was about a teaspoOnfu, but know some
ladies'" the cOlored women are generally allu-
ded to as ladies by their associates, who take
as much as quarter Of teacupful. If l took
that much it would make me sick"
How did the habit first begin!"
''Some of the ladies used to take it when
feeling badly, and it did them so much good
that others followed the example The men
folks can't drink vinegar and don't like the
women folks to take it, but they do it though"
The reporter subsequently saw an uptown
lady who is at the head Of large boarding
house. In answer to questions prOpounded to
her she said: oh yes. have had number of
colored women in my employ who were great
vinegar drinkers. The way found it all out
was in this way: had a washer and ironer who
ate very little. always kept bottle OF vinegar
in my kitchen where could get it easily. One
day went to take it from the shelf and found
that the bottle was nearly empty. was not
annoyed at this, although a little bit surprised
but concluded to keep the vinegar under lock
and key. The next day the servant came to me
and asked me for a little vinegar | asked her
what she wanted it for and she answered to
drink She then told me that she always drank
it. and that it did her power of good /
have noticed that those women who are the
greatest whisky drinkers are also the greatest
vinegar drinkers. You will be surprised |
know, when | tell you that whisky drinking
among coi0red women. especially those advanced
in years. prevails to a great extent. have been
compelled to discharge ever SO many valuable
servants just on this account l could not trust
them or depend on them, and So of course,
had to dispense with their services 1t is great
pity too. for they do not live great while after
the habit has become confirmed with them.
think the chief reason of it's killing them
so quickly is on account of the mean whisky
they get from the grOg shops. You know some
of these corner grOcerS VIII give a servant
lagniappe of whisky for the purpose of securing
their custom. When | send Il servant to the
grocery she can go to whichever one she pieascs.
So long as it is in the immediate neighbOrhOOd.
Ii q grocer refuses to give servant "a dram. she
will not patrOnZe him. and SO he thinks the
best thing he can do under the circumstances is
to Oblige her. tried once to keep my cook
from going out to get her drains by-seIling her
some of the whisky kept in the house. but it
took SO much to satisfy her that | was forced to
give up the practice. And yet she would 90 to
corner grocery and get royalty drunk on ten
awfully mean whisky that they get at these
places"
you've noticed, then, that the women who
drink whisky also drink vinegar!
'1es. and those of them who get Oh sprees
| sober up on vinegar"
The reporter, after bidding the lady good day,
interviewed several physicians in regard to the
vlnegar-drinkng practice. Said one: IL didn't
know that the practice was SO general. but |
Know several negro women who drink vinegar.
although l have never been able to discover
what good 1t does them Vinegar is very acid
can't drink it for the sake OF the whisky that is
in it, for the reason that it contains very little of
the liquor
The other physicians that the reporter applied
to could give no further information in regard
to the matter He said he had noticed, how
ever. that the women who were in the habit of
drinking vinegar were thin and weak-eyed, and
usually very lazy. He also stated that the vine
gar-drinking practice was confined to negro
women, although the reporter was unable to
fully answer the question propounded to him
by the gentleman, the fact was nevertheless es-
| tabshed that the question is pertinent aud
that its complete calculation would prove very
interesting.