ADULTERATION OF WINES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1639, 18 August 1887, Page 3

ADULTERATION OF WINES

When rogaes fall oat honest men come by their own. This proverb has been aomswhat' strangely illustrated m California. That State has had for some years an officer, said to be allowed to draw 430 dollars a month salary, with 16 dollais per day travelling expenses, his doty being the jenconragement of the cultivation of vine* for the manufacture of wine. A quarrel his taken place between the officer »nd the wine fraternity, which baa resulted m some revelations as to -vhat takes place In Ihls business, adulteration of most Injurious character being most universally practised. Before a legislative committed of the State the aforesaid ofpcor testified that tf he did not thinks that there was one put* gallon of wine or whisky out of a jujndred m California or any other city," and farther, according to the San Franoisoo " Chronicle," that " that there is no purt wine made m California. 1 ' These are not the statements of a temperance fanatio, but the deliberate utterances of the boci wine sampler of the State. Tbe '•Chronicle followed up this lead, and found that ont of 640,560' gallons of "oherry juice" imported into the United States, nearly one -fourth — 135 560 gallons —was m the year 1885-86 taken by San Fr»ncit co alone. Th(s "cherry juice," even when it was not deleterious to health by the presence of analine, is a foitlGer In disguise, an analysis procured by the "Chronicle" showing 17*15 per cent, of pare alcohol, while wines of tbe clearest varieties ppntaln but § per cent of the spirit. Gypmm, or plaster of Par!s, a eubstanoe prohibited In France, is also Ostd for clarification ; It also imports a fiery Ted to the color of wine. Among other adulterants discovered by the "Chronicle" were biebrich scarjet, one of the co»l?tar dyes prepared from carbolic ac'd, and generally containing arsenic; earmel plnpinimi, a compound of bornt adgar, aniline dye, water, and two par oent of alcohol ; naphthaline, oak, tannio, potash, and salioylio acid. The celebrated English analyst, Dr Letheby, Btates that aniline products act upon the nervous system, and if ;taken In dczes of seven grains they produce death. This must be Interesting Information for American wine-bibbers.