The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1915-05-12
NON Drink COLOGNE
Russian Government SIN Faces
a Serious Problem.
MsthyIated Spirits. Furniture Polish
and Other Deadly Liquors Are
Said 70 eo uoed ~ Substi-
tute for Vodka.


Correspondent Chicago Daily Newsl
London.-Apparently total prohibi-
ton is not working as smoothly In Rus
sia as the considerable section OF
British press and public that is urging
similar measures over here seems to
imagine. In spite of total" prohibition
there is . great deal Of drunkenness
to be observed In Russia just now
among the peasants, who form four
fifths of the nation. Methylated spirits
il the chief tipple involved.
I had q talk with . neutral subject
who has recently arrived in London
from the Russian empire. In various
districts of which he has lived many
years.
You can Judge of the importance Of
the methylated spirits ISSUE" he said.
from the fact that the ministry Of
finance at Petrograd has been organic
ing an International competition, with
prizes ranging up to $4,000 rubles
G$15,000l, for methods of rendering
methylated undrinkable. A second
competition is being arranged for new
and improved methods of utilizing
spirits for combustible and other pur-
poses. In this the prizes range up to
one Of $4,000 rubles. The total awards
in these spirit competitions will
amount to $350,000. Here is q fine
chance, surely, for keen young Amer
lean chemists.
"Out In one of the chief cities of
Siberia leading druggist on the main
street has been doing huge trade in
a new brand Of eau de cologne of his
own manufacture. 1t consists of al.
cohol favored with lemon juice and
has few drops of eau de cologne to
give it slight verisimilitude to the
real thing. This, of course. is beyond
the means of the peasants. They drink
either methylated spirits neat OF
| mixed with other liquids.
In the last few months a new drink
has made its appearance at the numer
Gus country fairs In the empire. 1t II
called ksassok. Kvzass is theoretically
a very slightly intoxicating liquor
made from fermented rye bread. o.
recent years. however, the name ha.
been given to all soft drinks consist
ing OF water favored with fruit es
sence. The termination ok is q di
minutive, like the chen in German
In this case is implies not only an al
fectionate regard for kvass but an ;ndi
cation that there Is only a little kvas
In the mixture.
When left Petrograd in Februar.
dead men often were picked out of tn
snowy cutters at daybreak; they Ia,
become blind drunk on methylate
spirits the previous evening, had falle
unconscious and had soon frozen I
death.
"A preparation of furniture polish,
sort OF French polish, also is bein
imbibed to great extent
This methylated spirit tipping 1
doing lot of harm in Russia. Unles
the finance ministry's competitio
produces results, it is expected ths
the ban will be lifted from beer. Their
is a widespread agitation now in fave
OF permitting the sale of low alcoht
percentage beer. to compete wit
methylated.
Among the middle and upper elias
es eau de cologne has become the Z
vorite drink-when drink has a hol
on them. 1t is nicer than methylate
But that, say the Russians who mu,
have drink at any cost. about let's
out"