WHAT WE DRINK.

Temuka Leader, Issue 284, 21 August 1880, Page 2

WHAT WE DRINK.

The Sydney Evening News recently purchased, over tne counter for analysis, sampies of liquor vended by the low drinking shops of Sydney, and gives the result «b follows :—" What is calbd pale brardy is not pale brandy at all. It is a locally manufactured article, and is composed entirely of potato spirit, burnt sugar, hydra ted oxide of otthye (fusel oil ), spirits of nitre, and flavored with oil of coguac. Oil of cognac is a composition manufactured in Germany, and large qua itities of it are imported to the Austral an colonies. A «niull phial of it will impart the flavor of brandy to a hogshead full of liquor. It is easily irocured in Sydney. Our readers can form s .tne conception of the nvntal and phyiscal state ot a man after drinking several glasses of such a filthy mixture. The next samples tried were those of delightful whisky, which were proved to contain a large proportion of white spirit, creosote (oil of tar) and eacchai ina matter. A very nice beverage truly I The rum of the peraeus, on being submitted to the anslysis, and test, wasfouud to contain sulphate of copper, (bluestoue) cayerme pepper, and was flavored with amvtic etner. The only wonder is mat men in tne habit of drinking such loathsoaie compounds do not more frequently committ murder. There is a popular idea that it is utterly impossible to adulterate gn. That may be quits correct, but it is easy to manufacture ;t. This is the result of the analyst'.- inspection of what was purchased as gin : The aamrle was diluted with white spirits and strongly flavored with on. of jumper and Strasburg turpentine."