SILENT' SPIRIT.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 1010, 6 May 1871, Page 2

SILENT' SPIRIT.

The Argus of April 8 gives the following curious particulars which came out in evidence in the case of Harrison v. Uggles, heard under the new Insolvency Act; —Connected with this case, there is, however, another matter of very great iuteiest to the imbibing pubj|c, and in fact to all those who are* compelled! to frequent hotels and public-houses for necessary refreshments. A veiy useful liaht has been thrown upon the inai ner iu which the liquors supplied at soma houses of entertainment are manipulated. It has been a very popular delusion that what is vulgarly known as " square gin,* and especially the peculiar brand of JDKZ, could not be easily adulterated, aud many a traveller on leaving Melbourue for a tour in the country bade farewell to his favorite brandy aud soda, and uutil hjs return took nothing but JDKZ, under the impression that if the beverage was not particularly pleasant it was at least wholesome. The result was not always satisfactory, and Wilson, the partner of Harrison, has favored us with a solution, of the problem. In his evidence before the Chief judge in Insolvency, he makes the following valuable couiessiou : " Some of the silent spirit manufactured at their place was made into JDKZ gin. The way they did it was that, they got \Varrenheip gin, aud mixed two parts of their silent spirit with one of Warreuiieip

gin, and thereby they made a capital geneva. The Warrenheip gin was bad —rather fiery—and their . spirit being a soft one modified the Warrenheip spirit, and made a good gin, which they sold as JDKZ gin. If Mrs Uggles bought JDKZ gin from them she was bound to get the made spirit he spoke of. The silent spirit they marie went into everything that passed out of their store, wines and spirits-—except Jlennessy's bottled brandy, for which the silent spirit would not do." Nothing can be more deleterious than what is known as silent spirit, and in the statement of Mr Wilson we have a complete explanation of many a suicide, and, of what is still worse, many a Jiving death within the walls of our lunatic asylums. When will the authorities take really energetic measures to stop the sale of the vile poisonous trash which, under the guise of wines and spirits, is now supplied to the infatuated fools who haunt the low publichouses of the city and