Evening star., 1922-03-07
Know Contents Are Poisonous

Know Contents Are Poisonous
Many Washington bootleggers are
making poison liquor with full knowl-
edge of its effects. They know when
they put certain poison elements to-
gether and sell them as liquor that
the drinker is liable to serious in
jury.
In addition to what is being made
here, they are importing much stuff
from nearby rural communities Of
Virginia and Maryland and selling 1t.
From the mountains of Virginia and
from outlying territory of Maryland.
between 500 and 700 gallons per day
It Is estimated-are being brought
into Washington. It is corn liquor,
rich in the fusel oil that eventaahy
blinds.
Bootleggers who once gave quality
products for the high prices charged
in most cases now are handling !iq-
uors which may be up to proof, put
which are rich in poisonous or IN
furious content.
Facts Are Obtained.
These statements are not rambling
insinuations. They are facts.
to the truth the Star has made
general survey Of the bootlegging
field in Washington and finds thst
while genuine liquor may be DIM
be purchased easily in the northwest.
the northeast. the southwest and the
southeast sections of the city. and
that this liquor when analylzed is
almost invariably found to be poison
Gus.
this so-called liquor is disclosed: Ql
by immediate effects like that OF
"knock- -out" drops on many fmbibers
who are taken to the police statloS
or are at their homes or in the hos
pitfalls fighting this poison; S2} oy se, re-
analyses of typical samples of these
connections.
Cases Long I'm Hospitals.
Washington Asylum Hospital. for
example. for some time has been al
most continually handling virtually
its capacity for alcoholic cases caused
by the drinking of inferior and pois-
onous liquors.
Where formerly the alcoholic case
and released from the ward in day
or two at most, nowadays the case
remains for several days or for weeks
until the physicians are aole sue
cessfully to combat the effects OF the
noison elements in liquor now being
sold' A physician at the hospital said
that there was one case there now
which had been in the hospital for
ave weeks as the result OF bad
liquor"
Results of Analyses.
A general summary of the analyses
of typical bootleg liquor made re-
Gently by the National Vaccine and
Antitoxin Institute at 1913 U street
fo1lnWs.
or nine samples submitted foufshad
heavy traces of fusel oil; two had a
trace of this poisonous element .and
one had a faint trace OF 1t. making
entire group.
Three of the nine-one-third-h
u,ood alcohol. which was uncovered
in special tests for this substance.
One-it was supposed to be Haig q
Haig whisky-had bay rum IN aooi-
tion to the wood alcohol ana a neaVy
trace of fusel oil.
Formaldehyde Discovered.
In another concoction there were
traces found IN the test.
This substance. it Is believed, Is used
for the purpose of preserving color
ing matter intact and preventing set
Ting of sediment.
Four of the connections had artificial
coloring matter present. One OF the
sampleS-SupposeQiy ltaiidh NSt IN
was found to contain so much sugar
that it defied analysis by the quick
test system. 1t had no alcohol and
was heavier than water. But there
was a large amount Of artificial color
ing matter and sugar, and favoring
oils had been added.
The sample labeled No. / was sup
posedly Pikesville whisky, which is
being sold in the downtown section
within three blocks of The Star build
ing. 1t was 80 proof with alcoholic
volume by weight 49.5. Artificial col
orine matter had been added and
there was a large amount of fusel oil
present
Fusel OIL In "Gin."
The second sample was gin. which is
being sold by a bootlegger who uses
an automobile to canvass his patrons.
It's alcoholic volume was ~ per cent
and its proof was 81. There was nat
urally no artificial coloring matter,
but there was q trace of fusel oil. No
wood alcohol. however. was disclosed.
The third sample was alleged ver-
mouth being sold by the same auto
mobilist bootlegger. No alcoholic
content could be discovered. although,
vcrI MA shorid he % ;, cr't