Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1905-10-19
The Observer.


State Dairy and Food Commissioner,
asking him to cooperate in exposing
an evil and fraud, which for time
must remain unchecked by legislation.
This evil is the extensive sale of intoxi-
eating liquors, adulterated with irri-
tants and poisons. Until recently the
Dairy and Food Commissioner had
kept close watch on the sale of liquors
in Pennsylvania causing frequent ar
rests to be made for selling adulterated
goods. A recent decision of the Su
preme Court restrains the Commissioner
from bringing further prosecutions for
selling adulterated liquors, inasmuch
as the pure food law is interpreted as
not including nor applying to liquors.
The Attorney General of the State
has moreover rendered an opinion to
the effect that the law against the adul-
teration of drugs does not apply to al
coholic beverages, and that neither the
State Pharmaceutical Board nor the
Department of Health can prosecute
for the adulteration of liquors.
Pending further legislation which
cannot be enacted before 1907, the only
way open to combat the added evils
resulting from the sale of adulterated
liquors is to wage campaign of infor.
nation, laying the facts of adulteration
plainly before the public.
Professor Cochran, the State Chemist,
has found that of all the samr les of al
coholic liquors examined by him, fully
, 70 per cent. were adulrerated. Of the
samples of wines, blackberry brandies
| and blackberry cordials, more than 95
per cent. were found to be grossly
| adulterated. In nearly every one of
! the blackberry samples examined there
was total absence of blackberry juice.
| In almost every case the required color
of blackberry juice had been initiated
by the use Of a large number ofred coal
tar dyes. Some of the dyes used are
deadly poison, and may be properly
classed with arsenic and corrosive sub
Innate. Even the most harmless of
these dyes possess in a marked degree
the power of retarding digestion
Other adulterants used in wines are
glucose and saccharine, salicylic acid,
oils ofcinnamon and cloves and tartaric
acid. 30 per cent. of samples of wines
we're found to be adulterated Beer is
SO seldom made according to the old
"malt' standard, that the United States
Commissioner of Agriculture has recog-
nized two distinct types of beer, the
old,tashioned kind known as ''mat
beer'', and the kind made with substi-
tutes for malt and known simply as
beer" Under this new standard
beer is defined as fermented saccha
rine infusion TO which some bitter has
been added.
The majority of whiskies were found
to be weak in alcohol and we're colored
with carouel. They could be made
from water and common alcohol, col
ored with a little burnt sugar. A little
glycerine would help to give the bead
found in good whisky, while the add
tion Of a small amount OF cayenne pep.
per would greatly economize alcoho
, by imparting a taste Which might bC
taken for the latter. Fussil oil and 9th
er artificial ethers are added to initiate
, the bouquet which whisky develops
with age. Beta-naphtrdl a coal tai
preservative, sulphur dioXide, anC
wood alcohol, have also been employed
: as adulterants. The latter is peculiarly
harmful, causing impaired vision anC
; i'll some instances even total blindness
Foe the next year and a half tn,
market in Pennsylvania will be flooded
with these impure and 2oubly poison
: ous beverages. In what way those whC
deal in them are to be held in check i
: is difficult to see. If the public, to
; man, were to practice total abstinence
. or scar approach to it, the problem
would solve itself; or rather ther
Il l.. Al.