The Washington times., 1920-01-04


iaDeled ~oia style AoptsSssT sn~
other "oid BsockporI" The booi.
lexser demanded 81 for each hsif
pint. besides his 6e-esnt fee ss mes
senger"
No attempt Mad been made 20
camoufAse the .MontPose" bottle the
remnants OF the oriBinai stAmp
frankly Advertising that the bottle
had been renlled. Its analysis show
ed the contents TO be vinegar, win
alcoholic content OF az per cent
The "Brockport" bottle was the
most artistic product. on Its face. OF
the bootiesgsr's art the reporter en-
oountered. The labels we're unim-
paired and clean. And half-pint
revenue stamp, whole AID clean, had
been neatly pasted over tho cork.
Only when one noted that the name
OF this distilier printed In red Ink on
the revenue stamp did not eorre-
spond with that on the brand label
would Its contents have caused sus-
picioL without test under cireum-
stances other than those attending
the purchase.
But aside from color the contents
OF this bottle had absolutely no re-
semhiance to whiskey or any other
Intoxicating beverage. They were
burnt sugar coloriDg and without The
slightest trace OF alcohol.
While no wood alcohol or dena-
tured alcohol were found In the sam
pies of the bootleggers' wares OBJ
tained by the reporter. commercial
alcohol Is being drank In this city,
Garages and refllling stations keep
denatured alcohol for sale for USE To
keep automobile radiators from freeI-
ing SO alarming had become the re-
quest for this liquid from buyers as to
whose intentions there was suspictiop
that most OF these dealers now insist
ON seeing the machine for which II Ii
to be used before they will sell u.
Many Calls For
Commercial Alcohol.
One local dealer alone stated he
had had from IS to 35 calls daily, for
several days before Christmas. for
this alcohol In pint and half-pint lots.
Some OF the purchasers are said TO
have frankly admitted they intended
drinking II. stating they knew Of a
chemical that would offset It's
poison: that they added this chemical
and sugar to II and made a palatahle
and comparatively harmless drink,
This is one phase OF the dangers In
the traffic I'm commercial alcohol un-
der the conditions caused by prohibi-
tion which are brought to public at.
tention by DR.. Reid Hunt. an eminent
authority on the effects OF alcohol.
The danger In wood alcohol today
mainly Is In the misconception OF
that danger. he declares.
Or. Hunt. who formerly was a mem
ber of the Johns Hopkins stan. sew
eral years ago was chief of the d.
vision OF Pharmacology OF the United
States Health Service. in which posi-
tion he advised the government In
the regulation OF the sale Of drugs.
Eoisons and Intoxicating liquors, has
prepared an article on wood alcohol.
at the request of the American Chem
icsl Society.
The large sales of poisonous alcohol
already recorded In this city. the
deadly effects OF sale and use OF this
product as a beverage in other jocali-
ties which recently startled the ma
ton, and the strong probability that
II iS being or may be bought and
drunk by unwary patrons OF the
virtually unrestralned bootleggers of
Washington, make his article most
timely.
Wood alcohol" writes DIR. Hunt,
has become known as the American
poison on account of the frequency
hsen traced to II In the United States.
Despitc this fact. there is still lack
of appreciation OF it's dangers and OF
an understanding Of it's nature. IL IL
on this account that / am glad to
prepare this bulletin. The miscon-
ception Of the dangers OF wood alco-
hol evidently exists not only among
those who drink or sell alcoholic"
beverages of unknown origin. but also
to those who prepare drinks con-
tanning wood alcohol for sale and
perhaps also to those who sell wood
alcohol TO the latter class. No other
explanation of the recent accidents
is thinkabie: for. however. sordid the
motives and however reckless of
human life the manufacturers of
surprious alcoholic" beverages may
be. II is unreasonable to suppose that
any one would knowingly incur the
legal and other responsibilities for
such wholesale slaughter as has
recently taken place"
Lists Some Very
Popular Mlsconceptions.
Among the misconceptions preva-
lent" said DIR. Hunt, ''the following
may be mentioned:
MANY consumers and perhaps some
Of those who sell such drinks, soetn
10 think that wood alcohol has such
Characteristic properties that its pres
cnce can be readily detected by the
odor or taste. On the other hand,
those who make such drinks know
that this is not the case, but either
believe that the poisonous action has
been exaggerated or that the chances
Of detection are relatively slight.
at cannot be too strongly empha-
sized" he added, that there is not
single property OF wood alcohol. ex-
cept it's poisonous effects, by which
anyone but q chemist can distinguish
between purified wood and ordinary
or grain" alcohol.
The appearance. odor and taste OF
the two are so strikingly alike, that
even chemists who have had much
experience with them are unable by
these properties to distinguish be-
tween them with certainty. The diff
ficulty is, OF course, greatly increased
when essences. flavors or coloring
matters are added, as is the case In
the spurious drinks now being offer
Cd for saIe Not oDIy can the cop-