The Portland daily press., 1883-07-25

An arucle IN sue Boston Herald OF July Sth
commences thus: "'Wine is mocker' was
said before the arts of adulteration and forgery
had reached the 18th century stage of high per-
lection, but the mockery of most of the wine
which is furnished us at present Is strikingly
apparent, when we consider that, notwith-
standing the serious falling off in the French
vintage, the supply Of so-ealled French wines
sold continues unabated." The article proves
these assertions by statistics, and adds:
Another source of so, called French wines re-
veals not mere deceit, but cause OF immedi-
ate peril. The St. James Gazette said few
months since: "Of more than 5000 samples OF
wine analysed at the Paris municipal laborato-
rYdnring the last ten months, only between
800 and 400, or about one-tenth of the whole,
were found to be of good quality. Some 500 or
400 revealed on analysis the presence of delete
nous and noXious substances, such as sugar OF
lead, alum and sulphurio acid. A significant
hint that we are fully equal to our brethren
across the water in the manufacture and adul-
teration OF French wines Is furnished by the
published importations of Bordeaux and sher-
ry. Claret is, of course. the ordinary dinner
wine, and, considering the freedom of its use,
1t Is probably within bounds TO say that from
two TO three times as much olaret is consumed
here as sherry. Yet we find that the importa-
tions Of the two at New York for 1882 were
very nearly the same--Bordeaux, LAO 740 gal
Ions, against ,127 ,946 gallons of sherry. From
this II IS evident that the larger part Of the So
called Bordeaux commonly drunk here is sim
ply eoncoction, with American wine often as
basis, favored with more or less injurious in
gradients, colored with logwood, a1d peri ,ous
TO the health of the user 1t is evident 100,
that claret Is not the only wine manufactured
and adulterated. Anyone who seriously con-
slders the amount of champagne drunk in this
city or in New York yearly must be convinced
that the balk of IL can claim no kinship with
the champagne district in France. And to a
greater or less degree this true of other wines,
not excepting those of Germany. The German
government has recently been forced to adopt
stringent measures for the prevention of wine
adulteration. A black list has been prepared
OF forbidden ingredients. Among them are
sugar OF lead, glucose. alum. salicylic acid and
suiphuric acid. As the New York Sun re-
marks: THE complacent connoisseur, who in-
dulges in warm praises of his Lieb frau milch
IS probably often swallowing a more dangerous
decoction than any of the cheap and despised
native Wines" 1t is well known that the bulk
OF so-called port is "doctored abroad, while
sherry is, in the majority of cases, heavily
loaded with spirits. And, leaving wines for an
instant, the recent reports of American consulS
IN France state that pure cognae has become
thing OF the past. and is no longer exported.
In view of these facts it would seem as If the
question of total abstinence from alcoholic hev-
erages would settle itself on sanitary principles
That "pure alcohol" has it's place in the ina
terra medica" no one will deny; but that in
these vile corrections les pspacea for all the
ills that flesh is heir to, is reflection upon the
science of medicine, as we'll as upon the COM
mon sense of the patient. What greater
moekery can there be than in seeking to gain
heath by the use of such deleterions COM
pounds. Even more absurd does it seem, that
ss.fa Il
because they are pleasing to the palate. If it
could be proved as conelusively that in the wa
ter of any given locality were ingredients as
harmful, should we not consider persons in
sane who would persist in its use? The old
saying facts are stubborn things to deal with"
was never more verified than in the question
of the adulterstion of liquors Afterreading the
testimony of one who knows by practice of
what he speaks, that of the inspector for Ohio
Dr. Cox) in addition TO those facts taken from
the Herald, one would conclude that not only
is ''wine is a mocker," but all of the stronger
stimulants.
ADULTERATIoN OF LIQUORS
The Commercial Enquirer publishes an in
terview with a retired wholesale liquor dealer.
who makes the following statements:
IF should give you the tricks of the trade
and with my name, this city would be a hot
place for me- But few liquor drinkers have
the faintest idea in regard to the extent of the
evil Of adulteration. For instance more than
two-thirds of the stuff sold for brandy ia this
country is the meanest kind of poison. It is
manufactured from an oil of cognac. DIR. Cox,
the celebrated inspector Of liquors for Ohio, af-
ter examining some of these imported brandies
said that the chemical tests gave him fusil oil
as basis, with sulphuric acid, copper, chloro-
form, fannie acid, GniDea pepper, and small
percentage of good brandy. The same GENTLE
man, after testing liquor from half pipe of
splendid Seigrette brandy found evidence of
sulohuric acid, nitric acid, nitric ether, prussia
acid, Guinea pepper, fusil oil and common
whisky.
"Gin,'' continued the ex-dealer, sis consid-
cred safe drink by thousands, who believe
that it is the only liquor that escapes adultsra-
ton. They are mistaken. In most of the gin
sold there will be found oil of vitriol, oil Of
turpentine, oil of almonds. sulphuric ether
and extracts of grains of paradise It is in the
manufacture OF whisky, however, that the
adulterators do their finest work You can
purchase oils and essences from which whisky
of any age can be produced. This style OF
whiskey when tested will show suiphurc acid.
caustic potassa, benzine, nux vonica and other
poisons. This is the sort of stuff that bores
into the coatings of the stomach and creates
ulcers.
In porter you will find henbane capsicum,
cocculus. indicus, copperas, vitriol, sub-carbon-
ate of potash and jalop are used. OF course
ale of this character is dangerous to drink.
Cocculus indicus Is used largely to give
strength to the beer. It is small berry,
very bitter and of an Intoxicating character
Three grains will produce nausea aud prostra-
ton; ten grains will throw a strong dog into
commissions.
Oil of vitriol is used to increase the heating
qualities Of liquor. NORWOOD is used for its
bitter and stimulating qualities, green copper
as give porter frothy head and the drinker
az well. Stacked lime is also to be found in
sdulterated porter"