The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-29
TEMPERANCE.
AdulteratiOn as a Fine ArJ.
by MR.. JOHN t. PERRY, EXETER, N. II.

the prevalent belief that the adultera-
ton of alcoholic drinks is recent
practice. In that we'll known text
III. Corinthians iv:2-the original of
the words "handle deceitfully " edo
tountes) should rather be translated
by the single term adulteration,"
the reference being to the habit of
the inn-keeper of his day to mix cheap
wines with expensive ones, or to palm
off an inferior vintage for one of
greater age or rarity. 1t is certain,
however, that all the mixing of Pau's
time was clumsy in comparison with
the chemical manipulations of our own
day.
A striking and very interesting illus
tration of the way in which people are
cheated and enormous profits realiz d
was afforded lately at Washington to
the congressional committee on the
Whiskey Trust. That Trust, which
controls the products of most of the
distilleries in the country, had been ac-
Gust d of putting before the public not
regularly distilled and carefully ripened
spirits, but compounds which had a
nearer. relation to the CHEMISTS labora-
tory than to a normally conducted dis
tillery. 1t was alleged that they made
great quantities of flavoress white
spirits, as white as water. This product
Of grain was sold to a company which
in its turn distributed the product to be
worked up by wholesalers, rectifiers
and druggists. A few large whole
salers, weary of the slavery in which
the Trust kept them, were anxious to
convince congress of the lille gitimacy
of the Trusts methods. So they sent
before the committee an expert-a Mr..
Ve.zey.
We have the official report of the pro-
ceedlngs. Mr.. Veazey brought with him
demij)hn of pure spirits and several
bottles of essential oils and essences.
and odoriess spirit and put in drop of
Jamaica rum essence, following this
with coloiipg matter made of burnt
sugar and little sweetening syrup.
Next he reduced it with water until the
bead was gone. This was brought
back again by some bead oil, made of
sui phuric acid, oil of almonds and olive
oil. The stuff smelled and tasted like
the genuine article, which retails from
S4 to Sc a gallon. Yet its cost was
81 30 gallon, tax paid, the colors and
flavors adding only about a cent and
half per gallon. He then made rye
whiskey, using the appropriate essence
of which the deadly poisonous fusel oil
is the basis. He first produced speci-
mn of one-year old whiskey, then two
a three years. old, and finally some
thing apparently so old and smooth as
to be called Velvet whiskey," selling
anywhere from S4 to IS gallon. Toe
only difference between this last and
the cheaper varieties lay in the use of
more prune juice and other havoring
Ingredients. The actual cost and the
real basis of all was about the same.
Having done this, he said, 81 am
prepared to make limitations of any Of
these liquors at any time with this spir-
it's basis"
The Chairman" Name the different
kinds"
The Witness Sc the different
whiskeys, Scotch and Irish whiskeys, the
foreign gins and runs and brandies,
after-dinner cordials and liquors. These
materials as you have them exhibited
before you, of essential oils and es-
sences, are part and parcel of the stock
in trade of every man in the United
States of America who has got rectify
ing license as a wholesale liquor
dealer"
1t is certainly not to the credit OF
congress that, after these revelations, it
failed to suppress or modify the Trust.
Our legislators are very severe with the
farmer who waters his milk or with the
manufacturer who palms off oleomar.
garine for butter; yet they do nothing,
or next to nothing, to protect people
from being furnished with vile imita-
tions of the stimulants they pay for.
One may have little pity for the inebri-
ate who cares more for a constant sup
ply ofalcohol than for the form in which
that alcohol is embodied; yet even they
should not be made to pay enormously
for what they do not get after all.
The use of alcoholics in medicine is
becoming more crcumscribed every
year, and properly so. There are, how.
ever, certain affections of the heart and
stomach in which really temperate
physician can employ them cautiously
Yet here the distiler's trickery doe:
its worst work. Under whatever name
purchased, the spirits do not meet the
DOCTORS expectations. He is relying
not merely on the alcohol, but on Ger.
tain ethers, espt clally those contained
in real grape brandy, or sugar cane