Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-11
MELLON DEFENDS
WOOD ALCOHOL TO
PREVENT DRINKING
Research Has Failed to Re-
veal Substitute, He In
forms Senate.
SIMPLEST DENATURANT
so FAR FOUND, HE SAYS
Secretary Transmits Letter Deny
ing Poison Is Responsible for
Bulk of Rum Deaths.

By the Associated Press
Wood alcohol is the simplest de
naturant" for industrial alcohol meet
ing the requirements of the law, and
scientific research has failed to reveal
a substitute, Secretary Mellon today
informed the Senate in response to
its request for information on the
use of poisons as denaturants.
wood alcohol as "a denaturant," "
Mr.. Mellon reported. Gables the
treated product to any one attempt
ing to drink it as dangerous, and
therefore constitutes the most effec-
tive means of accomplishing the re-
quirements of section 10 of title jill
of the national prohibition act that
the denatured alcohol shall be unfit
for use as an intoxicating beverage" "
Death Report Is Cited.
The Secretary also transmitted to
the Senate a letter from Health Com
missioner Harris of New York City,
reporting on the alcoholic deaths
there. which said that only "some"
of $50 deaths in that city during 1926
from alcoholism were possibly due
to methanol wood alcohol or other
substance employed to denature or
medicate alcohol"
Mr. Harris added that New York
City hospitals had 337 cases of a1co-
holism under their care between De-
cember "a and January 4, but "only
one was definitely attributed to wood
alcohol poisoning" There were also
hG nC ho
use of straight wood alcohol, he said.
The health commissioner complained
that the information given in death
certificates was very meagar with
respect to certain important points, +"
and said other questions were in
volved in studying the fatalities
(which / am not prepared to answer
in a scientific, dispassionate spirit"
Answering the Senate's request for
any correspondence exchanged with
Wayne b. Wheeler relative to the
Mellon replied there had been no
with Wheeler or any
other national officers of the Anti
Saloon League on this subject.
Sends Protest to Removal.
He incIosed a copy of a recent tele-
gram from Atticus Webb, Texas State
superintendent of the Anti-Saloon
League, protesting against the re-
moval of poison" from wood alcohol.
Another provision of this act re-
uuired that the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue ISSUE regulations
in respect to nom beverage alcohol
SO as to put Industries using such
alcohol as a chemical raw material
or for other lawful purposes upon
the highest possible plane of scien-
tifc and commercial efficiency, con-
sistent with the interests of the Gov
ernment, and which shall insure an
ample supply of such alcohol and
promote its use in scientific research
and the development Of fuels, dyes
and other lawful products"
Wood Alcohol Answers Purpose.
"The simplest denaturant meeting
these requirements" Mr. Mellon
declared, "is wood alcohol. as speci-
fed in the original law. The denatur-
ing grade of wood alcohol has a
definite and disagreeable taste and
odor. 1t carries with it its character
istic taste and smell in the original
mixture or in the treated product, and
therefore serves as notice and warn
ing that the product is not bev-
erage."
The output of Industrial alcohol
in the United States last year was
reported as 105,000,000 gallons. The
dye, artificial silk, paint and other
industries, as evidenced by their
communications to the Treasury, Mr..
Mellon said. feel that to remove
wood alcohol as a denaturant in the
present state of scientific knowledge
would destroy them and would rem
der impossible, the duty imposed on
the Treasury requiring the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue to pro-
mote such industry"
Sums Up Case.
Summing up, the Treasury head
said
"The Treasury does not wish to use
dangerous substances as denaturants,
but Congress has imposed upon the
Treasury the duty of specifying an
effective denaturant readily available
to industry An effective denaturant
not harmful if used for beverage pur-
poses has not yet been found, al
though research is continued.
"The Treasury feels, then, that it
has not the discretion, under existing
law. to abandon an effective de-
naturant in favor of one not harmful
but Ineffective"
n-r1AIN MI nrnnnTEn