WHITE SPIRIT.

Dunstan Times, Issue 744, 21 July 1876, Page 3

WHITE SPIRIT.

(Melbourne Argus.)

A wine-merchant writing to the Sydney Morning Herald draws attention to the extensive use of an article which goes by the name of “ white spirit,” in the adulteration of those delectable liquor's which aro palmed off on the public by fraudulent dealers and publicans as “very old brandy,” “prime old tom,” “ genuine mountain dew,” “ stone gin,” or “ real Jamaica.” Ho says that, according to a Parliamentary return of the Bth of March last, 9546 gallons of this treacherous fluid had been taken out of bond during the preceding six months, of which quantity 4727 gallons, or 7800 proof gallons, were cleared by wine and spirit merchants. It appears, moreover, that on the 12th of this month 9127 gallons of this white spirit were still in bond, 6822 gallons (or say, about 11,000 proof gallons) appearing in the books as belonging to dealers in fermented and spirituous liquors. “It seems only reasonable to assume,” says the correspondent alluded to, that this enormous quantity

.... is also intended to be swallowed by the unlucky public under the name of some liquor made for human consumption.” He asserts that this abomination is poisonous if indulged in to any extent; that a glass or two of the villainous compound does not make a man diunk. but mad, deprives him of all control over his actions, and places his person and his purse at the uncoltrolled disposal of his host. “It is the cause,” he affirms, “of so many wretched men ‘knocking down their cheques’ and their lives at the same time in country inns.” We are afraid that the manufacture and sale of these deadly concoctions are not confined to the neighboring colony. There is too much reason to fear that albrisk trade in adulterated drinks is done in this country also, and that every year hundreds of deaths are properly chargeable to the scoundrels who think nothing of sacrificing life or reason in their race for riches. They may escape the punishment of their crimes in this world, but if the existence of a future state of rewards and punishments is anything but a myth or an old wife’s fable, they will yet be called on to answer for the wasted lives, the blasted prospects, the wretched homes, the remorse, the agony, the sin and suffering of which their miserable greed has been the cause. Drunkenness is bad enough, in all conscience, when produced by honest liquor, but when it results from the poisonous stuff of which we have been speaking, it seems to undermine the the moral and physical nature of the imbiber, or to t-ansform him eitberinto a wild beast or a gibbering idiot. Like the gentleman who has brought this subject under public notice, we contend that this shameful trade should be stopped by law ; but while politicians are stiuggliug for office, we cannot expect attention to any proposal meant to defend the lives of their constituents from the insidious attacks of a number of licensed poisoners.