Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-11-08
WOOD ALCOHOL.
II Is Dangerous as Drink and In
Medicinal Preparations.


Up to within comparatively recent
period cases Of poisoning by wood al
cohol were among the rarities Of med
ical practice, for 80 long as the sub
stance. was manufactured by the old
processes its offensive smell and taste
were sufficient to deter even the most
hardened drinker from using 1t to sat
isfy his craving for alcoholic stimu-
lants. Since the time, however, that
"deodorized" wood alcohol has been
placed on the market, under various
names. the fatalities from its use have
gone up by leaps and bounds.
Not only may it be used in place Of
grain alcohol in the manufacture and
adulteration Of spirituous liquors. but
1t is also largely and widely used as
a menstruum in many toilet prepara-
tions and remedies for internal and ex-
ternal use. The reasons for this prac-
tice are twofold. First, and that which
appeals most forcibly to human ma
ture, Is the comparative cheapness of
wood alcohol, 1t being untaxed and
costing but so cents a gallon, while
grain alcohol, taxed, costs at retail
$3.50 per gallon. The second reason Is
the ignorance of many manufacturers
as to the deadly nature Of methyl al
cohol. Indeed, even among members
Of the medical profession views with
regard to the poisonous nature OF
methyl alcohol are widely divergent,
and some who have had no experience
in cases Of wood alcohol poisoning are
openly skeptical concerning its reput-
ed toxic properties. In order, there
fore, to decide the question, DR.. Frank
Butler Of Montreal, and DR.. Casey
Wood Of Chicago, undertook in the be-
ginning Of 1904 an Investigation Of the
subject, under the auspices Of the sec
ton on ophthalmology Of the Ameri-
can Medical association. The inves-
tigators found that about It's cases OF
blindness and about 100 deaths during
the past seven or eight years could be
directly imputed to wood alcohol In
the various forms In which 1t Is man
ufactured. This estimate is conser-
vative one and only treats Of publish
ed instances Of death and blindness.
Drs Butler and Wood consider that
the investigation undertaken by them
confirm the suspicious entertained by
hof fun
wood alcohol, under certain favorable
conditions, are dangerous menace to
eyesight, and they moreover believe
that the consensus Of opinion is op-
posed to the statement Of the makers
of the various forms Of "deodorized"
wood alcohol that its external use In
liniments, alcohol, "rubs," in baths, In
cosmetics, hair tonics, perfumes, etc.,
is always devoid Of danger to the eye
sight.
The practice Of substituting wood
for grain alcohol in the manufacture
of medicinal preparations would ap-
pear to be a most insidious and per-
nicious means Of poisoning, and the
sale not only Of methyl whisky but al
so Of internal remedies and toilet pre-
parations manufactured or adulterated
with wood alcohol should be restricted
by law. In fact, there Is every reason
why the proposition Of Drs. Butler and
Wood should be adopted that methyl
alcohol in any of its forms should be
treated as a poison and subject to the
laws Of the various states restricting
and regulating the sale of poisons.-
Medical Record.