The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-09-26
ISSUES WARNING AGAINST USE OF
 WOOD ALCOHOL
Many Gases of Blindness Caused By Drinking
 Fiery Liquid.
LAWS GOVERNING
 SALE ARE EVADED
High Cost of Whiskey Is Blamed For Increase of
 Sales.


 The increase in the number of deaths and cases of blindness resr71+- Ing from the drinking of wood alco- hol as a substitute for grain alcohol has caused the National committee for the Prevention of blindness. 13O East Twenty-Second Street, New York to send warnings broadcast through out the country. The records in the office of the committee show more than 1000 cases of blindness in the country resulting from wood alcohol covering Q period of several years according to Gordon L. Berry. field secretary. This record is admitted to be incomplete
 In recent months MT Berry saf7 there have apparently been more deaths than cases of blindness .resu1t- ing from the drinking of wood al. cohol due he said, to the larger quantity taken by the victim. Upward of twenty-five deaths have occurred In New York city and vicinity since January l. Similar conditions are said to prevail in all parts of the country.
 Edward NJ. Van CIeve, managing director of the National committee declared that the use of wood alcohol TOT drinking purposes had increased 10 an alarming extent in everv. state Tn the union, no section being exempt rom a use by those ignorant. of it's dangers. The purpose of the Nation al committee is to educate the peo- pie to the danger. as laws regarding lhe sale of wood alcohol can be evad- ed.
 Laws for Control.
 MT Berry said that twenty states. have passed laws for the reguIa+fo and control of the sale and use of svood alcohol, either through pure food legislation or through the pbar- macisJs. However, it has been found that the laws have not been rigfd1v enforced, he said, and, besides. if en- forced would not entirely stop the sale and use of the dangerous spirits for beverage purposes.
 In nearly every state, he said. the druggist is required to label Poison" on every bottle of wood e1cohol that is sold, but this does not prevent the use of it in any manner, the purchas- CT sees fit In New York city. the or dinances of the Health department provide that "it is unlawful to use this alcohol in any article of food. beverage or medicinal or toilet prep aration intended for external or inter nal human use"
 The city authorities have several times called attention to the increase in the last few months of the use oF wood alcohol as a beverage and ef- forts have been made through the Health department to enforce the or T4 HHnaw
 Charles F. Norris, a city medical ex- aminer, sent a letter to Health Com missioner Copeland telling of several deaths from wood alcohol in New York, and offering his assistance in a campaign to prevent the sale of the spirits for drinking purposes. pr. Alexander o. Gettler, as chemical pa biologist, also brought to the atten- tion of the Health department and the public generally the increased number of deaths from wood aIco- hoI
 Started With High Prices.
 The increase in the use of wood all cohol for beverage purposes is said to have started with the increase in the price of whisky during the winter and with the wartime prohibition of July l. The action of wood alcohol is very much like ordinary alcohol, except that it is more severe. Within a few hours after drinking, acute headache is noted, usually accompanied by violent attacks of vomiting pains ex- tending over the region of the kid neys, and excessive dizziness. Vision may become impaired, total blindness occur, and death itself result. Harm- ful action of the poison may also be induced by breathing its fumes, and by absorption through the mucuous membranes of the body.
 The wood alcohol used in. the Unit ed States is obtained chiefly from the destructive distillatiou of birch, beech, maple, oak, elm and alder. The uses to which it is put are for the denaturing of grain alcohol: for various purposes in lines of common manufacture, (especially as a solvent in the preparations of shellac, var nish, dyes etc..) as an ingredient in medical and pharmaceutical prepara- tions; in the chemical industries and as a fuel and illuminant
 The situation in Boston became so serious last June that Police Com missioner Curtis issued the folIowing g order:
 
 in charge of stations when booking intoxicated persons should take par ticular notice of each prisoner, with a view of ascertaining if possible, whether or not such prisoner is under the influence of denatured or wood alcohol.
 When satisfied that the prisoner is intoxicated from the use of denatured or wood alcohol, every precaution will be taken by the officer in charge be- fore placing such prisoner in a cell.
 "A small quantity of denatured al- cohol makes a person intoxicated. It is liable to put the user in such a condition that death may result If proper care is not given.
 Commanding officers are advised that dealers in paints and oils sell wood and denatured alcohol, and they should, therefore, cause frequent in spections to be made of the books of such dealers and use every proper means to see that sales of such al-