Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
IS PER CENT IS BAD
DR.. Wiley Sends Out Another
Whisky Warning.
MUCH ADULTERATION
GOVERNMENT CHEMIST SAYS
CONGRESS Is TO BLAME.
"Bottled in Bond" Goods Recommend
ed-Gives Reasons for His
Statements.
MUCH ADULTERATION

Persons who are in the habit of indulginS
in a glass of whisky and water, either as a
beverage as a tonic, are warned by DR..
Wiley, chief of the bureau of chemistry,
Department of Agriculture, that So per cent
of the connections served in bars. clubs
and cafes as whisky is spurious. He hass
gone further and asserted that the govern
ment of the United States, through laws en-
acted by Congress, apparently without
knowledge of their possibility, has legaized
the making of this spurious whisky"
According to Dr. Wiley the only whisky
that is genuine stuff" is that which has
been bottled in bond sold in the original
package, under the stamp of the govern
ment. That is to say, when n distiller
makes whisky and puts it in government
storehouse it has been done under the care
full inspection of government internal
revenue agent. During the time it is in this
warehouse it is known as being in bond.
Such OF it as is to be removed must be
under the eye of the inspector. sWhile this
whisky is in the original package no addi-
ton or change can be made in its compost
tiOn But soon as it has been taken from
the original package by the licensed
rectifier it be "doctored at will and
placed in another package or bottle that
does not carry the government stamp. This
is the class of liquor, according to DIR.
Wiley, which is known compound, spur
ious or blended" Therefore, according to
DR.. Wiley, the only whisky that is gen.
uine is that which bears the government
stamp bottled in bond which means that
the whisky has been taken from the orig
inal package under the eyes of the govern
ment revenue agent and placed in bottles
upon which the agent of the government
places his seal and stamp
Trouble in New York.
Dr. Wiley discussed the whisky question
as the outgrowth of the death of some
eight or ten persons in New York recently
from alleged whisky poisoning.
~ am not surprised he said, lat the
revelations made in New York concerning
the ordinary whisky of commerce. l have
tried to convey a warning In times past,
and the situation as developed simply gives
practical illustration of the necessity OF
this warming The bureau of chemistry
has already entered upon an analysis of
domestic WHISTLES to ascertain the differ
ence between the pure and the adulterated,
and particularly to find out the ingredients
of the latter.
II have ordered one hundred and fifty
samples of whisky now in bond from the
internal revenue bureau of the government.
This has never left the control of the gov
ernment since it was distilled. 1t Is pure
whisky Agents of this bureau meanwhile
will obtain as many samples as possible
of the different brands on sale through
out the country, known to us as the com
pound imitation, whisky. These will he
obtained from clubs hotels and bars OF
every description. Comparisons will be
made with the real whisky, and the in
gradients of both will be carefully an
alyzed.
while I know from chemical exami-
nation that all whisky is more less an
jury to the human system it is not my
purpose to moralize on the subject. 1t Is
perfectly natural to assume that adultcr-
ated whisky is worse than the genuine,
and in this country So per cent of the
whisky sold is adulterated in one way or
another.
DR.. Wiley Explains.
From personal observation 1 have al
ready found that the usual method of pro-
ducing the imitation whisky is for the
dealer first to purchase a barrel of pure
whisky out of bond He then buys the
necessary amount of alcohol and aduter-
ates it with water. To this added
burnt sugar and prune juice for colorins,
purposes, and chemical essences to ripen.
All this is then compounded with a small
quantity of the pure whisky. 1t is given
the age of the real article and at once put
sale
DR.. Wiley continued by saving that most
the supervision and with the sanction of
the law under a system of rectificatlon, but
his contention is that the real and the imi-
tation should be so labeled. Then the re-
sponsibility will rest on the purchaser
Laws to this effect should be passed. If
the pure food bill which has passed the
House and is now pending in the Senate be-
comes law, the government will require
this label on all whisky entering interstate
traffic.
THE adulteration." concluded Dr. Wiley
lis not confined to the cheaper bars, but
in the best of them, when man calls for
whisky, these combinations, or what are
generally known as blends, are put before
him..