Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-18
USES OF WOOD ALCOHOL
OF THE POISON IN
WAYS DANGEROUS TO LIFE.
con L. Waters. in the Medical Brief

Leon L. Waters. In the Medical Brief
The wide publicity which is being given
to the dangers of wood alcohol IS truly
gratifying to those of the profession who
have early had cause to learn by sad ex-
periences the toxic nature of this article:
and inasmuCh it is well known to
chemists that wood alcohol has been. and
Is today, being employed as an ingredient
of various substances of common con-
sumption. in a manner that is entirely un-
justified in the face of indsputable evi-
dence of It's harmfulness. IT would seem
desirable to acquaint physicians with the
sources from which trouble might be ex-
pected.
At the outset. let me say that In view
of the overwhelming testimony Of careful
experimenters, there no longer exists the
slightest reason for doubling the toxicity
of wood alcohol, however pure 1t may be
When, number of years ago, as result
of the increased activity in the industries
involving Tie ury dlstIllaton of wood. TINS
product was brought forward as sub
Stitute for grain alcohol Il was hailed with
delight. for by substituting the one for the
other a saving often aggregating as much
three fourths of the cost of the fin-
ished product was effected The change
easily made, for wood alcohol greatly
resembles grain alcohol in outward phys
some cases, a superior solvent property.
Its first land legitimate) use was as a
solvent for various gums and resins in
preparing varnishes. Gradually it sup
planted grain spirits in most Industrial
operations. Then followed the unfortu-
nate discovery by ignorant or unscrupu-
lous persons that 1t could be easily substi-
tuted for grain alcohol in preparations In
tended for human consumption; and they
were not slow to adopt the idea without
investigation as to probable consequences,
and with a disregard for what might fol-
low which was little short of criminal
! 1t has cost high in lives and health to
turn the tide of this ill-advised venture,
and now that the true facts are known
1t is not improbable that many deaths in
the past might be traced to its use.
number of years ago, in one of the
city hospitals on Blackwelrs Island. in
New York two convalescent painters were
put to work vanishing wooden work about
the hospital, was the custom In those
days. They had both been nara drinkers
and being deprived of whisky while under
going treatment, were unable to satisfy
their craving. On the evening OF that par
ticuIar day both men were found lying I'M
conscious. and remained so until they died;
This was the writer's first knowledge of
the deadly effects of methylated spirits.
Not much was known in regard to the poi
sonous nature of wood alcohol at the time,
and few deaths ascribed to 1t We're re-
corded However. the above cases gave
rise to an investigation. in which 1t was
| shown that the two painters had poured
water into the varnish to precipitate the
| sbellac and had then drank the spirit from
| the top The solvent was found to be
methyI or wood alcohol
Some time later. an inferno in the alco-
| holic ward at Bellevue had observed that
| the actions of patients who had appar-
| emily imbibed whisky among the low re-
| sorts on the east side were very different
| from the better class of inebriates. There
| seemed to be a common affection of the
| optic nerve, The writer was asked to look
| into the matter. and preparations were
made to analyze samples of cheap whis-
| kies such as are dispensed in the slums of
| the CITY when four sudden deaths were re-
ported among people living within small
area in that very district Investigation
| showed that they had all partaken freely
of whisky the night before, and chemical
| analysis showed samples of whisky bought
| from saloons in the neighborhood to con-
| tain alarming proportions of wood alcohol
This last occurrence more than any other
| started a crusade against the employment
| of wood alcohol in products intended for
internal use, which ii is hoped will not be
allowed to abate until manufacturers and
others shall be thoroughly impressed with
the dangers that attend It's employment.
Further investigation by chemists in va
rious parts of the country has developed
| the startling fact that the pernicous en-
ployment of this substance is greater than
one was led to expect. and TO what ex-