Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-07

Alarming Rrsvaiesee ef 0laesr TipVline N
the 9unksf City.

the 9uakef CITY.
The ginger habit has supplemented The liquor
habit, Ays he Phihdslphia Tuna II has be-
come kind Of fad in some classss Of society,
and IL dangerous inrosds upon health are
forcing IL upon the attention Of physicians,
while a. IN outgrowth of high license
legislation 10 h at the same time re-
commencing itself 10 the attention of
lawmakers. The ginger habit il worse than
the ordinary liquor habit because IL Is more
rapid in its effects and means earlier ruin TO
the health of the individual. II has only re-
Gently come TO the attention Of physicians and
druggists that in Thousands Of families the
peppery dose that has borne the popular APP
pearancs Of innocenc and responsibility has
become an agent OF debauchery.
The tincture Of ginger. or Jamaica ginger, as
il Is popularity known, il the strongest and
most irritating alcoholic solution known, rank
ing next to alcohol absolute, which is un-
printable, and standing equal to commercial
alcohol, which 10 never used a. a beverage.
The Jamaica ginger il sold by druggists and
grocers in four-ounce Walls and the unbottled
tincture is retailed ct ono ounce and upward.
During the past few months the demand for
the article. which has been steadily growing
for number Of years, has become unprece-
dented and some druggists are already begin
ming to flag" hAbitual inquirers.
The greatest demand 10 in those sections that
are at a distance from the principal business
centers of the city. although the Chestnut and
Market street druggists themselves have expe-
risrced and noted the rapid growth Of the
trafhc. The most alarming phase Of the habit
Is Its prevalence among women.
DR.. ". G. Mcconnell said yesterday: 1.-THE
cents an ounce. It contains fully 95 per cent
of alcohol, 80 that in an ounce OF ginger there
Ii more than two ounces Of whisky. The way
it is now being used is amazing. I know q
physician, . man very prominent in his pro-
fession, who died only a short time ago from
the effects of ginger drinking. You would
think physician would know better, and he
did, but in spite OF the warnings and protesta-
tons OF his friends in the profession he would
use it daily as beverage, diluting it one-third.
II was in drug store only few days ago
when young girl came in twice, buying each
time two ounces Of ginger. The druggist said
she'd been in twelve times that day. He knew
that her mother and her sisters drank it, but
IL had never occurred to him that he should
refuse to sell them the article. 1 was called
not long ago to attend q woman who admitted
to me that she was in the habit of drinking
sixteen ounces day. Think what dose that
is! It would have the strength Of more than
twice that amount of whisky. It would sur
prise you to know how many patients afflicted
with the ginger habit the physicians of this
city are now struggling with.
THE majority OF them are women who, until
q few years past were accustomed to sending
TO the neighboring saloon for beer or whisky
whenever they wanted it, night or morning or
Sunday. One woman told me she began to
drink it when she couldn't run into brandy
saloon with her pitcher, but found that che
could buy all the ginger she wanted at the
druggist's or at the grocery store, and that it
went further and had more effect than any
thing else. Old drinkers at the bar are famil-
the growth Of the present habit has its origin
with them. 1t is encroaching upon the very
best society, and many an exclusive morning
and afternoon gathering OF ladies about the
table Of some elegant hostess INDUCES in the
ginger tipple. 1t is passed around diluted in
water and it seems harmless enough. But the
habit once acquired seems almost hopeless. 1t
is worse than the liquor habit The ginger,
through which the alcohol percolates
in its manufacture, is an irritant
alcohol is in almost its absolute state. Its effects
too, are distinctive. The ginger drinker in
variably becomes simple. These are not the
varieties OF ordinary intoxication. You will
find all the smaller drug stores outside Of the
very center of the city doing an enormous
grocery stores. There ought to be legislation
against its indiscriminate sale. the same there
is against the indiscriminats sale of other
alcoholic drinks"
A prominen. druggist. whose business in
cludes wholesale and retail, said the growing
demand for ginger had been noticed and COM
mented upon in his establishment: and in
others which he had visited. ''In our store"
he said. i've have adopted the rule Of refusing
to sell ginger to any person who appears to
have been drinking, but we haven't gone so
far yet as to refuse to All the orders tina. are
sent in to US from families or that are brought
in by children. There ought to be some re-
striction. l must admit, but what and how?
Most Of the ginger drinking is done down town,
I should judge by the Quantities ordered by
druggists. We sell good deal of it, too, and
to people who would be Mortified il accused Of
tippling."
for the tincture Of ginger is: "Ginger, twenty
parts; alcohol. sufficient quantity to make 100
parts. Moisten the ginger with five parts of
alcohol and macerate for twenty-four hours
then pack it firmly in cylindrical percolator
and gradually pour alcohol upon it until 100
parts of tincture are obtained"