The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1919-09-18
POISONOUS D RINK
BEING WIDELY USED
ALCOHOL INJURIOUS
INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY
Brings on Blindness
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Issues Warning Concerning
Use of Liquid.

Use of Liquid.
So widespread has become the use
of denatured alcohol as beverage
that the commissioner of internal
revenue has taken cognizance of the
fact and has sent out to collectors a
bulletin urging them to make known
to the public the dangers attending
the use of the liquid for either ex-
ternal or internal applications.
Frequently during the past few
months officers making arrests of dis
orderly persons have found them
wildly delirious and practically in
sane. They have seemed mentally
deranged and upon SOLDERING up ap-
parently retain little recollection of
what transpired while under the in
auence of the liquid they had imbibed.
Their condition is generally supposed
to have been brought about by the
use of denatured alcohol in combina-
tion with some other liquid.
Completely denatured alcohol is
composed of 100 parts by volume of
grain or ethyl alcohol added to 10
parts by volume of wood alcohol to
one-half part of benzine. This mixture
is violent poison and when taken
induces blindness and gen.
eral physical decay, ultimately result
ing in death, according to the bulletin
sent out by the commissioner of in
ternal revenue.
Injurious to Skin.
The bulletin in part, follows:
Reports recently received in the
bureau establish that completely de-
natured alcohol is being used exten-
sively for bathing and rubbing pur-
poses. This is contrary to the law and
and such uses can not be
tolerated, as the completely denat-
ured alcohol is highly injurious to the
skin and animal tissue.
"It. is also established that COM
pletely denatured alcohol is being
sold by irresponsible dealers under
such circumstances as to assure them
that it is being used for beverage pur-
poses. Where it is so used for any
length of time blindness inevitably
ensues and the continued use can
only result in death.
collectors should use every means
at their disposal to make known to
the public the dangers of either ex-
ternal or internal uses of completely
denatured alcohol. Wherever collec-
tors or revenue agents in charge hear
of a misuse of completely denatured
alcohol, a most thorough and careful
examination should be made imme-
diately and all the facts fully re-
ported to the commissioner for the in
fiction upon the responsible parties,
of the ultimate penalties provided by
law"
Should Be Labeled.
Another bulletin dealing with the
use of completely denatured alcohol,
recently received by the office Of the
collector of internal revenue for this
district follows:
''In view of the grave and extend
ed abuses of the use of completely de-
natured alcohol reported, it is deemed
necessary to print upon the labels af-
fixed to wholesale and retail packages
a further and more specific warning
as to it's use than is shown on the
present required label.
I'm addition to the present matter
on the labels there will be required
on all new labels hereafter, the print
ing in large letters IN req INK unoer
the skull and bones symbol, the word,
Poison" and at the bottom of the
label there will be printed the follow
ing statement:
"'Completely denatured alcohol is
violent poison. It can not be ap-
Piled externally to human or animal
tissue without seriously injurious re-
suits. 1t cannot be taken internally
without inducing blindness and gen.
eral physical decay, ultimately re-
sulting in DEATH
"Until the present stocks of labels
are exhausted this additional matter
may be affixed to the containers on a
separate label pasted above the pres
ent required LABEL
To Take Food Off Market.