Morris tribune., 1921-08-26
DEATH Turks
In MOONSHINE
Deadly PoisonS Are In Moonshine As
A Result Of It's Manufacture,
Says Official
(Wadena PiOneer-Journal.

Embalming fluid, arsenic, habit
forming narcotics, ether, mercury
and other metallic poinsons, nitroben-
zol and many other deadly substances
are taken into the body Of the man or
woman who habitually drinks moon
shine and other contraband intoxi-
cants, Emerson f. Hunt, supervising
federal prohibition agent at Mime
apolis, announced following the COM
pletion of an exhaustive investiga-
ton made by government chemists of
samples taken from seized bootleg
ger stocks.
"Embalm your self while you COM
nit suicide"
This is the opportunity that is be-
ing opened to the residents of the
northwest through those fortunate
acquaintanceships" they make with
the peddler of illicit liquor.
The new street saying "show me
man who drinks moonshine for a
year and you show me a corpse" is
no exaggeration, according to the
chemists working in connection with
1
Wood alcohol, a common ingredi-
ent Of bootleg hard drink is trans
formed when, taken into the body, say
3! they, into fOrmaldehydes and form
aldehydes are the liquids known to
the undertaking trade as cmbalming
fluids.
| Besides embalming, formaIdehydes
Ii 10 60 L.
in Minneapolis drink bootlegged
moonshine daily.
But this is only one of the invisi-
BILE forms in which death turks in the
muddy liquid from the still or mix
ing jar of the lawbreaking purveyor
of hard drink.
Among the other terrors with
which the moonshine drinker is flirt-
ing are:
Arsenic-One and one-half grains
of arsenic have been known to kill.
Arsenic also is slow or cumulative
poison. The system does not throw
it off and you can never tell when
the fatal point.
Alkaloids- These in illicit drinks
| are principally the habit forming op-
} iates, including opium, morphine
, herOin and cocaine. Physicians say
that 80 days is sufficient to make
= one drug victim if drinks contain
ing these are consumed.
Nitrobenzol-This poison, used in
l denaturing alcohol, turns the body
blue, breaks down the blood vessels
. interferes with respiration, causes
delirium, and in sufficient quantities
kills.
Copper acetate, lead and mercury
poison. Vessels in which "hooch" is
distilled are so carelessly chosen that
= the chemical processes frequently in
troduce vitrols, lead chlorides and OK
ides and even corrosive sublimat'
(bichloride of mercury into the liz
uor from the rcceptacles in which i
> is made.
Ether-Used in moonshine to Civ,
a brain effect similar to that of alec
hol, ether btnumbs the faculties, af
l. fects the stomach, debilitates, an
may form a drug habit or kill.
The drinker of bootleg whiskey VIII
believes he is getting good grain al
J. cohol in his drink because he pays
e price commensurate with what grail
e alcohol used to cost, should thin
d again, according to the federal analy
e sists. He should bear in mind:
70 That those who are in illegal liq
d uor peddling are in it for profit a
lr the risk of heavy fines or imprison
II ment.
IS That an average market price 70
II grain alcohol is $12 a gallon.
re That denatured alcohol sells for
D cents a gallon and methyl or WOO
n. alcohol for from so cents to 60 cent
ct a gallon.
re That at rs cents a drink the prof
e is $500 per cent greater if denature
to alcohol is used than if grain alcohC
is made the basis of the drink, an