The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1916-03-08
WOOD ALCOHOL


Vermillion. March 8.-Beware of
toilet waters and other scented and
oftentimes colored alcoholic prepare
tons used by BARRIERS unless you
have positive assurance from the bar
Der that the articles he uses are free
from wood alcohol. is the advice of
the state food and drug commission
to that portion Of the male popula-
ton who find ii necessary to recline
in BARRIERS chairs while those masters
of the tonsorial art heartlessly re-
move all trace of hirsute adornment
from their victims faces. Gay col
ors and delicate CD scents may be
used by manufacturers OF toilet prep
a%rations to hide the cheap but power
full poison, wood alcohol. Chemists
In the state drug laboratory here
have found large amounts of this
dread poison in samples of materials
taken from barber shops in different
parts OF the state. One preparation
colored brilliant violet and laden with
cheap perfume contained As per cent
of wood alcohol, and another. the
label on which makes e~xtravagant
claims for its antiseptic properties,
consists of a solution of menthol in
tap water with As per cent of wood
alcohol. Even a genuine bay rum,
bearing on its label the well known
legend to the effect hat il is guar
anteed under the food and drug act OF
June 80, 1906, is found to contain
this same deadly poison in large pro
-.4... H. a,atIar hon xyaG fnIind
a bottle. the label on which indicated
that ii contained a bay rum com
pound with 80 per cent of grain al
cohol. Now bay rum is a substance
recognized in the national formulary
a standard reference work for the
pharmacist and physician. and this
book says nothing about adding wood
alcohol TO improve the qualities OF
this well known preparation. YET
the sample in question contained
more than IL per cent of wood alco'
hol along with "a per cent of grain
alcohol.
The numerous cases of poisoning
from wood alcohol in recent years
have led to the passage OF laws for
bidding its use in articles of food and
in drugs generally. The South Da.
kota legislature in 1915 passed a law
prohibiting it's use in any article oil
food or drink, or in any medicinal OF
toilet preparation for external or III.
ternal use. One of the marked prop.
critics of the substance is its action OF
the eyes, causing blindness when ad
ministered in comparatively small
amount. For this reason its use IN
toilet preparations intended for bar
bers' use is especially pernicious.
The food and drug department rec
ommends to BARRIERS that they have
guarantee that all preparations the,
buy shall contain M wood alcohol
Some manufacturers have adopted
the name Colonial Spirits" for thi'
poisonous alcohol. This term Nigh
easily be mistaken by the unwary fol
the we'll known name, COLOGNE
Spirits" applied to refined grain al
cohol, commonly known as "ethy
alcohol" or just alcohol" Anothel
term applied to the wood alcoho
(known by the chemists as "methy
alcohol") or to a mixture of this will
grain alcohol, is "Perfumers Spirits.
No matter what the label claims fol
the product BARRIERS will be safe from
prosecution under the state law onl,
by obtaining an absolute writer
guarantee that preparations they u.s.
contain no wood alcohol.