The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-08

than water. Among the purchas
many women.
Scarcely day passes without soDe
one being removed to the Washington
Asylum Hospital as q result of indul-
gence In one or more of the various
brands OF the drinks. Usually the
person arrested IL In q dazed coadi-
tion when discovered by the police.
and shortly after being locked up re
complains Of being Ill. The expert
enced police know what the trouble Is
and the chauffeur VI the auto pa erol
10 summoned.
MANY DRINKS BARRED.
Some of the coI.-octions have been
banned by the prohibition authorities,
but many still remain. Probably the
strongest and most damaging drink
remaining 10 amaica ginger. This
preparation II sold together with
some sweet drink to make It pala-
table. The percentage of alcohol by
volume is usually about o5 per cent.
Not only II the stomach put to
severe test when this drink 10 In
dulged IN freely, but the mind be-
comes affected many pitiable ex-
amples OF the ginger habit have been
removed to hospitals throughout the
country since Mr.. volstead fixed the
alcoholic content limit at not more
than one-half Of per cent
MANY CONTRACT HABIT.
Proprietors of near-beer saloons
have been looked upon with suspi-
cion by upholders Of the volstead
act. But they are not the only offend
era Connections with kick" are
being sold by the italian vendor and
by keepers Of small stores. particular
ly In the residential sections- ln7es-
tigAtion reveals that the tonic-drink-
Ing practice II not limited to the old
time bar-room habitues. Men engaged
In profitable employments are known
to Indulge when they cannot get q
prescription from physician me
prescription In this case usually
means Spirits frumenti."
In the opinion of the "old-timers'
no connection with a kick" manu-
featured since the advent OF prohipi-
ton can "touch the old red-eye." ut
goes down smoothly" they say, and
has the desirable exhilarating KICK.
Nevertheless, manufacturers OF the
tonics are growing rich and are In
stalling new machinery in their
plants and are adding annexes to their
laboratories and factories.
CONCOCTIONs ARE EXTENSIVE.
The sellers of the drinks with a
sskick" evade the law by placing
revenue stamps on the bottle and by
not drawing the cork. But many OF
them are cognizant of the fact that
the connections are drunk on their
premises A bottle of soft stun" Is
Immediately ordered following the
purchase Of the so-called tonics and
the wise bartender smokers up his
sleeve. He knows to what use the
cpncoction will be put.
The prices of these connections are
anything but reasonable. The max
imum tax Is placed upon them and as
a result the vendors are more prosper
GUS than they would be under the old
regulations. Not only because Of the
exorbitant prices, but because they
are not required to pay liquor tax.
whisky is out of the question these
days SO far as the working man
Is concerned because of the exorbi-
tant prices charged by the bootleg
pers. A youth arrested recently at
one of the prominent hotels told de-
tectives he got as high as $50 quart
for liquor.
DRINKING MEDICINE
A medicated preparation recently
placed on the market Ia now being
bought as an intoxicant. Investisa-
ton shows that when 1t is mixed
with the "soft stun" and taken as
drink the only symptom Ia silly
grin or a stagger. 1t is also said that
in q certain governmental department
the preparation is put through a
process by which the alcohol is sep
arated. A round of old-time "high-
balls" follows and tho attendant
hilArity ensues-