The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11
p WOOD ALCOHOL
( POISONING.
The Danger is Greater than Is Com
monty Supposed


Egain alcohol. One grave peril lies
tin the fact that wood alcohol is some-
times used instead OF grain alcohol in
various household preparations
Inc use OF wood alcohol in the manu-
1aeture and adulteration of potable
spirits is sufficiently alarming. but this
is by no means the extent of its use
as an adulterant. ont only have prep
arations intended for use in the arts,
as varnishes. or for external use. as
Witch hazel. been made with wood al
cohol as an ingredient, but even medi-
email or iavoring agents. such as es-
sence of Jamaica ginger. lemon pep
permint. etc, intended for internal use,
have been found TO contain it,
Eye specialists Of this country and
OF Europe agree in ascribing many cas-
es OF total or partial blindness to wood
alcohol. which had unknowingly been
taken in the form of liquors, medicinal
remedies. flavoring essences or used
externally in the form OF witch hazel
and bay rum and az liniments and for
alcohol rubs
Wood alcohol is known to the chem
Isl as carbinol and methyl. more popu-
larly known under the name OF pyro-
ligenous spirit. pyToXylic spirit. wood
alcohol and wood naptha. 1t occurs as
one of the ingredients OF crude wood
vinegar, the fluid product of the de-
structive distillation Of wood.
Purified wood alcohol is thin, color
less fluid, greatly resembling. grain al
cohol in taste and smell, but obtained
from wood vinegar. Nnpurified, il has
a rank and offensive odor and flavor
IT is only within the past seven or eight
years that cheap, deodOrized wood al
cohOl has been placed on the market,
and II is only during the same period
that the alarming record OF death and
blindness resulting from its use has
been made.
Before that time the unpurihed pro-
duct possessed so offensive an odor and
taste that even the most inveterate
drunkard was unable TO stomach it.
The purified wood alcohol is known m-
DER various names. and owing TO the
iact of its close similarity in taste and
smell 10 grain alcohol, and to its com
parative cheapness-wood alcohol un-
taxed retails at 80 cents a gallon grain
alcohol taxed retails at S2.60-it is very
largely substituted for grain alcohol
Unhappily the deodorizing process
destroys none Of the poisonous prop
ertis OF wood alcohol. and, while diff
1ering little i'm appearance taste and
smell from grain alcohol, II is under
certain conditions a deadly poison.
POISONING by wood alcohol manifests
Itself in two forms-that of acute pOis-
oning and that of chronic poisoning
According to researches by physfcolo-
gists, JOffroy and Servereaux, Birch
Hirschheld. Holden Hunt POh and
others. the symptoms OF the acute
form are in general similar to those
observed in cases Of poisoning by grain
alcohol, excepting that the action Of
wood alcohol is produced more slowly
and the duration of the intoxieation is
more prolonged. The coma caused by
wood alcohol continues for a very much
longer time than does that caused by
Sram alcohol
The Investigations Of Butler and
Wood have demonstrated that. In many
instances, no marked poisonous symp-
toms are noticed until twenty-four
hours. or longer. after the last num-
Der OF doses usually small drinks, had
been taken. Indeed, il may be set
down as a rule that except in persons
exhibiting an idiosyncrasy against
wood alcohol or unless q large dose Of
the poison be drunk within a few hours.
net only may the severe abdominal
symptoms and the collapse of the
heart and nervous system be post
poned, but even the fatal termina ton
has IN some instances been delayed for
several days.
would seem 30 snow that the cOnsump-
tiOu Of wood alcohol in large quantl-
ties has a similar effect on animal life
10 that of grain alcohol when taken in
excess. yet it is gathered from the OBJ
servations by doctors OF those suffer-
ing from the acute form of wood al
cohoi poisoning that wood alcohol is
undoubtedly. I'm every respect and how
ever taken, far more dangerous TO man
than grain alcohol.
Chronic or sub-acute poisoning by
wood alcohol, that is, the taking of
small quantities at short intervals. pro-
duces form OF cumulative action. de-
pending probably on the retention
within the body of wood alcohol or Of
some Of its decomposition products
Pohl made the important discovery
that wood alcohol differs markedly
from grain alcohol in that il is but
partially oxidized in the body and that
its administration leads 10 the forma-
ton within the body of a markedly
poisonous acid. fOrmic acid. which is
thrown out OF the system very slowly
a striking Illustration Of the fact that
within the body on poison may be con
Nerted into another which is far more
powerful.
DR.. Frank Butler Of Montreal and
DR.. Casey Wood OF Chicago. both Of
whom are eye specialists. began an in
Nestigation OF the subject in the early
part Of this year. and the results are
now being published IN the JournaIso
the American Medical Association. The
physicians in question have laid bare
by their researches a startling state Of
affairs.
II has been found that wood alcohol,
adulteTated essences and witch hazel
as well as other preparations contain
ing Wood alcQhol, have been directly
responsible during the past seven or
eight years for about 175 cases of blind
ness and about 100 cases of death. IN
asmueh as the Investigations have been
necessarily INCOMPLETE CDR. Butler not
having attempted 10 collect published
instances OF death, and DR. Wood hav-
Ing noted only cases unpublished in
medical journals). il is in a high degree
likely that a more thoroughly and ex-
tended search would show that quite
200 persons have been killed and the
same number blinded by preparations
containing wood alcohol within a COM
paratively short period.
The fact also must be borne I'm mind
that many physicians are unacquaint-
ed with the symptoms OF wood alcohol
poisoning and that the fatalities occur
ring from its use which have come un,
der their observation were not recorded
as such.
Poisoning by wood alcohol 10 those
wbo have had any experience i'm cases
Of this description. is unmistakable The
most ccSc1n gushing feature is that Il
attacks the eye directly and with pc
culiar virrlence. In severe cases when
death does not ensue total blindness is
an almost invariable sequence.
Wood alcohol poisoning is also char
acterized by the fact that while COM
paratively small doses viii injuriOusiy
affect some individuals. others are APP
parently no more injured by much
larger doses than - They had DRINK