PURE ALCOHOL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 280, 7 August 1909, Page 10

PURE ALCOHOL.

Sir,—l liavo received from Wellington a booklet entitled "Doctors , nnd Drinking," and I luvo returned the.courtesy by reading it,.' it contains a scries of vigorouslywritton**papcrs, letters, and opinions by a largo munbor of medical men, many of whom occupied titled nnd prominent positions. They .hjlxondcmn intemperance as. strongly as you or I would, and many of tliem gcriorally eondoinn the uso of alcohol,' though; somo' are cautious chough to malso oxcoptions under necessitous' circumstances. '.'• There; is not, however, 'ono sin'glo word'to show that they ivoro acquainted with thoro being two common descriptions of alcohol, ono.-.; '.'ctliyl,"_. which .is made from grapes orinialted grain, and purified by ago in wood. Tho : other, '.'amyl," .distilled from unmaltcd ghvin, potatoes, decayed fruit, rotten figs, treacle, converted starch, etc., that will'ruin the;.stamina, destroy .health, give risp to brutal, instincts;. and a few drops of wliich will cause a worso form of intoxication than ■ ; o, largo quantity of. ethyl. - Until Alfred Allen published, his' grand work on com-' mc-rcial,:.organic chemistry,'tho information was,concealed by technical language in abstruse works •on exact chemistry; and as Allen's work consists, of seven volumes at a very high price pet Volume, and is also of comparatively recent date, it was not lfkefy to be found on private bookshelves, or even in, many libraries. -~.- . ■ ■:,. . ;>' I havo prp/ved that: ethyl alcohol ib a vakr. able .commodity.' under, many .circumstances,: and very especially regarding' consumption; and Asiaticcholera... I.now. repeat Allen's, '.words regarding :amyl alcohol. Ho says: "To.its.prosenco.in new .wliisky tho injurious, |.results"of. that.spirit,aro attributable." , The, Western Australian' Government has.started, to|clcar'.the atmosphere of misconception,.and ■ drink from poison.'.-, I believe there are a. | number of earnest, sensible men,among,tho loaders for tomperanco.reforms who,'unless thoy.'yaro;ticd'down.by pledges,..will support aimoyement to hold a proper, control over tho. liquor .traffic byretaining the licenses and making'it heavily, penal -to'supply ■ any liquor that, contains amy] or'a-, still more; deadlier cheap: drink 'derived from -methyl spirits. "Publicans are not chemists, and the respect-. ,ablo;members : pf the Tradownll be only too. pleased to learn from the Government labora-, tory-which of ; -.tht'ir..-wares are .good,.rather, than'run any risk ;of fine or, imprisonment for,palming off amyl or methyl,.in the place of good ethyl.alcohol, a probably fatal mistake in caseof sickness—l am, etc.,v ....<Y •;■';.!;;•';.';• /' V : •',; '...-■ -F/X MONCKTON. "