St. Paul daily globe., 1892-06-07
HOW ABSINTHE Is MADE.
The Principal Ingredient of the
bewildering Fluid Is Worm
wood.

Bewildering Fluid Is Worm
wood.
On my return from Switzerland l was
detained few hours at the little front.
ier town of Pontarlier, in the north
western part of Jura, says writer in
the Sad Francisco Chronicle. was told
that the people of the Departmental Dous)
for radius of thirty miles from POntar-
lier, including necessarily portion of
Switzerland, depend almost entirely for
their support on the making of Geese
and the cultivation and sale of worm
wood. The raising of wOrmwOod. a Bit
ter weed of American fields and gar
denS, used by old women as L febrlfuge
and Vermifuge, seems curious indus
try; but all that can be produced finds
a ready sale to the diStilerS of abSinthe
at Pontarlier, which is the center of this
extensive industry. AbSinthe, it should
be remembered, is the French for
WOrmWoOd.
Absinthe is made of wormwood, with
the addition of other aromatic herbs
that give the green color and render
the taste more agreeable. When it is
distilled with care (Says a special plea
by the diStilerS) and consumed in rea-
IL
and refreshing. But too much of it
should not be taken, even when it is
good, for it contains a high percentage
of alcohol. Many distllers simply mac
crate the wOrmwood and other herbs,
and steep them cold in alcohol made of
beetS or of grain, by which means the
poisonous oils are extracted from the
herbs.
These poisonous qualities and the bad
alcohol necessarily have bad effect,
and produce that rapid and dangerous
state of intoxicati0n that drinkers of
abSinthe have often noticed in regard
to themselves. A beverage that operates
on the nerves in such manner as to
produce instantaneous lntOXicatiOn must
necessarily be dangerous, first to the
health. and ultimately to the reason.
This effect itself shows that the liquor
is of a bad quality, and should be con.
demned. a French physician says of
wormwOOd: 'lts bitterness is its prin-
cipal merit. 1t Is tonic, stimulating,
febrifuge and vermifuge. 1t is par eX-
cell ence the herb of pale and feeble
women. 1t is the quinine of the poor.
A slight pinch is sufficient in liter
of boiling water" etc. 1t is evil
dent to the most ordinary appre-
henSiOn that liquor made with good
alcohol from an herb that has been in use
the world over as common domestic
remedy, and has formed part of the
pharmacOpRia from time immemorial,
cannot he harmful if used in mOdera-
ton.
Two kinds of absinthe, or WOrmwood,
are used in making the liquor at POntar-
lier-the great and the small. the first
for its bitter qualities. and the last,
which is gathered immature, chiefly to
act in giqing the delicate green color.
The other plants employed in the dis
tillatiOn are balm, caraWay, ahlSe and
hySSop. Balm is claSSed incidentally as
anti-nervOus, an important antidote in
a liquor considered as acting too forci-
bly, Oh the nervous system. The quail
tiles of caraway and aniSe are familiar
to every one. The last is greatly used
in medicine and IL many other ways for
its flavor and perfume.
The caraway used at POntarler comes
from the South of France; the best
anise from Southwestern France and
AndaIu sis, in Spain. The flowers of
hySsOp are regarded as stimulating and
making of absinthe. it will be seen, have
recognized medical qualities, and all,
probably. as tea or coffee, have poi
sonous essence that should not be eX-
tracted in the process of distillatiOn,
and so become part of the liquor
As to its history, absnthe, though it
has not been fashionable till within
few years past, was invented some $50
years ago at Convict, little city of
Switzerland few miles below POnt-
arlier. The inventor could have
never anticipated the fame it would
achieve. After having passed through
various hands it was purchased by the
ancestor of the principal diStilery of
Pontarlier. to which place the industry
was transferred near the close of the
last century. since which epoch the use
of the liquor has been gradually ex-
tended.
The principal distillery of Pontarlief,
which has its patent from the inventor,
is an immense establishment, covering
several acres, admirably appointed rO
every respect, kept with extraordinary
neatneSS, and, for the convenience in
transportation, connected with the rail-
road station, some three-QuarterS of a
mile distant, by Il track of its own.
Some questions regarding the habits
of the workmen were answered with
certain freedom. l desired to know
how they were treated, and if from
daily contact with liquor reported so
QdtlScEUuS IHcy ulu llOG acquire lH0
habit OF using it too often. My guide
said that happened sometimes, but not
as often as it happened in distilleries,
making no matter what kind of liquor.
As general thing. the workmen were
satisfied with the odOr with which the
place was impregnated, and which new
cOmerS found somewhat intoxicating.
Every employe was given glass of alb
sinthe every morning, with half
bottle of red wine, and they were all
generally temperate and c0ntented.
Mrs G. W. Smith, 32S Tenth street south,
will entertain this week ner brother, Capt. G..
K Huntley, L. S. A, of San Antonio, Tex.
and Iohn Z Woods of the denarlment of