Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1919-1980, 1919-12-30
Drink GOOD BOOzE.
f ANY, WARNING OF
US. REVENUE OFFICERS

Y
Deputy United States revenue off.
GERS while in Salem recently gave a
press interview relative to the harmful
eliects OF "bootleggerss booze. That
such warnings are timely is proven by
the mounting deathlist in easra,..,
states following the consumption Of
poisoned liquor by many persons.
Milton A. Miller, collector of inter
mai revenue for the Portland district
mas asked that the public cooperate
with him in efforts to prevent any oc-
currance in the Pacific Northwest Of
anything similar to the New ENGLAND
fatalities, in which section dozen of
persons are reported to have died fol-
lowing the inhibition of wood alco-
mol whskey. Collector Miller wei
comes cooperation especially in re-
ports of known liquor selling, or the
manufacture and maintenance of illicit
stills. Information concerning these
violations may be sent directly To tha
Portland office or transmitted through
local authorities.
A Portland bootlegger, when arrest
ed recently on charge of manufae-
turing and selling booze in which
strychnine, wood alcohol and arsenic
were employed to give body" to the
liquor. When arrested, this bootleg
ger stated to Collector Miller's depu-
Nbs'Well, what if my stuff is
deadly poison I'm selling the stuff
for the coin that's in it, don't drink
any of it myself"
Patent medicines especially tho~c
placed on the markets in dry territory
with the alleged purpose Of catering
to the alcoholic beverage demand, arr
regarded by many investigators ana
on medicinal values as be-
ing a ranking second to bootlegger,s
connections, so far as injurious effects
are concerned. The chief danger aris-
ing from the continued use Of this va
riety of booze substitute is that usual
y habit forming drug is compound
I'D with the medicine, so that the man
who is determined to have his "likker''
stands good chance of becoming a
irug addict as an additional vice to
present alcoholic preference.
recent survey of the Salem down.
own district reveals that fact that
many and varied are the patent medi-
'ine "empties" found in alleys and in
he rear of pool halls and semi-public.
places.
Say, Jack. want a sniff of this
Peptoney Tonic it only cost me 20
'ents at the drug store?" and Jack |
will reply. "None Of the 'Peptoney' for
ne, that is only Is per cent joy, me
or this "Liko,' Bo, it's good for a 23 |
'er cent wallop, according to the
abel. Conversations similar to the !
-bove are not uncommon with men /
Who don't care what goes into their /
just so the drag" is in the I
rink. The revenue authorities have /
lot yet ascertained just how much /
joy" is obtainable by drinking quart
n more of patent medicine of which
ne main ingredients are drugs of a !.
more or less neuseating character,
specially when taken into the human I,
ystem in large quantities.
Among the ''tonies," Differs. and i
'ther drug store beverages. found in
'iaces where patent madeline were
lever known before prohibition the
following list gives the results of Il
census recently taken of Salem al /
eys, garbage barrels and rubbish I,
heaps at the city dumping grounds: /,
Percentage of alcohol in each in
a I,I Z,
particular brand mentioned) Lyko
Tonic, 20 per cent; Peptona Beef. |,
ron and Wine, IL per cent; Hostetters s
3itters, 25 per cent; Rexall Beef. Iron Z
ind Wine, 10 per cent; Peptonized L
Beef, Iron and Wine, 16 per cent; Pu- K
ola Beef, Iron and Wine, Is per cent, I,
3eaumaur Frank Drug company's r. Il
/. W., Is per cent; Wyethes B. l. w, I
20 per cent; Meritol Beef, Iron and t
Vine IS per cent; and Gibsons Beef,
ron and Wine, containing per cent n
Ilcohol. Whether any Of these con- a
ain narcotics is not noted. iv
A curious coincidence noted with !:
he finding Of patent medicine bottles, 8
) that small bottle bearing the label
Jamaica Ginger SO per cent alcohol" ?
J usually discovered near the patent v
Medicines empties. IN the ratio of ?
bout one Jamaica to each pair of Y
patents" the surmise being that each u
ottIe of tonic or bitters is "teed up"
v adding a generous dash OF the !
fiery "ss per cent"
Journals of the American Medical
ssociation and also Of the American :
entad association have carried many :
iscussions In recent issues, condemn !
~ the commereialization Of patent
,edicines in prohibition areas en-
basizing not only the attempts at law y
vasion, but also the widespread harha
-, ~ follow any increased con-