The New York herald., 1922-07-24
ALCOHOLIC DEATHS
50 p. c. OVER 1920
Medical Examiner Also Re-
ports 27 P. G. Increase
This Year Over 1921.
BLAMEs POISONED LIQUOR
Tests Show Drinks of Iodine,
Creosote, Benzine, Kero-
sene and Ether.
BLAMEs POISONED LIQUOR

Deaths from acute alcoholism in
New York this year have increased
nearly 27 per cent. over 1921 and
nearly 80 per cent. over 1920, it was
learned yesterday from the Chief Med
ical Examiner. S
Tho jump in the mortality rate Is
attributed by health and medical Of
ficials to the poor quality Of liquor be-
ing sold. Three -fourths,of the whisky
New workers ara drinking is hooch
hastily and heaplys manufactured 20
supply the demand that has not de-
creased, while Federal authorities have
c,amped down the lid on importation
and withdrawal of bonded liquor. ~
"If New Yorkers knew what they
were drinking they wouldn't drink it,
Is the way in which the situation is
summed UP by law enforcement and
medical officials. They have ascribed
the name of hooch, as differentiated
from genuine whisky, to this liquid
fire which constitutes the great bulk
Of beverage. sold in saloons, in res
taurants and by bootleggers.
The records Of Medical Exapiner DR..
Charles Norris show that eighty per-
sons died from acute alcoholism In the
first six months Of 1922. These records
include only victims who died without
medical attention, and DR.. Norris says
many other New Yorkers probably died
- hx,< - 1a
attendance of private physicians the
cases were not Investigated by his staff
and their deaths are not included in the
records.
Iodine ssLike Scotch"
The total number of alcoholic deaths
investigated by the medical examiner in
1921 was 127-thirty-three less than the
total will be for this year at the rate
to date. The death rate for the entire
year Is expected to advance.
The liquor New York is drinking may
be divided into six general groups:
Genuine bottled In bond
whisky-less than one-sixth of the
total daily. consumption.
Grain alcohol. colored with
burnt sugar and sold under label
for real whisky.
3-Denatured alcohol. which has
been purifed to remove the poison
Gus substance making It unfit for
beverage purposes
4-Unpurifed denatured alcohol
which may contain creosote, BEN
zine, kerosene. pyridine. petroleum
ether. diethyl phthalate. or some
other denaturant
5-wood or methyl alcohol.
6-water colored and favored
with iodine.
This last type OF hooch is one Of the
clearest indications of the liquor situa-
ton in New York. Iodine and water
has appeared on the market only within
the last two months. and the concoction
reveals the lengths to which bootleggers
have gone to supply the trade.
To any one not expert in distinguish
ing whisky, and often to those who are.
water colored with iodine has the APP
pearance Of real Scotch whisky. Even
after taking a drink of the mixture one
cannot always recognize 1t for what II
Is because the iodine gives the liquid a
tang resembling that OF whislSy
But perhaps the most dangerous con
coction on the marketis that made from
denatured alcohol. Even II the boot
logger be conscientious and tries to re-
move the foreign substance making the
grain alcohol unfit for drinking. he Is
more than, often unsuccessful Purify
ing denatured alcohol is a task for a
professional chemist. and no amateur
dabbler in chemistry may be sure OF
success.
Since the enactment of the Mullan-
Gage act, the State prohibition law, in
April, 1921. over 10000 samples of liquor
have been analyzed for the Police De-
partment and Federal authorities by the
Central Testing Laboratory Of the Board
OF Purchase.
The purpose OF most Of the tests was
Continued IN pagc Eour