POISON IN THE GLASS.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 780, 23 February 1871, Page 3

POISON IN THE GLASS.

A fortnight ago, a resident in SytL ney purchased a rum pumheon, and, in order that it might be effectively cleansed, he caused the head of the cask to be taken out. luside the vessel he found about two buckctsful of tobacco, raisius, and pineappple. The publican had probably reduced the strength of the rum by a copious admixture of water, and then sought to restore the intoxicating properties of the diluted spirit by au infusion of tobacco, while the raisins and pineapple were added to give it the luscious flavor of " fine old West India rum." And in this way the public are being poisoned by wholesale. A malignant ingenuity is perpetually being exercised to devise means of ex-

torting an extra profit' from dram drinkers and brandy bibbers. The agencies resorted to are simply murderous. They are so in a doublo sense. They destroy both body and miud. They send some of their victims to tho cemetery, and others they consign to the madhouse. Our poisoners are more to bo dreaded than the cunning toxicologists of the middle ages, for men and women knew their deadly enemies, and suspected the perfume in the glove or tho powder in the goblet. But, now-a-days, a stranger may hand an envenomed draught across the counter, and politely smiling thank you for the coin which he receives in exchange. You imagine you are drinking a wholesome beverage, whereas in reality it may be "doctored" with oil of vitro], oil of turpentine, sulphuric acid, quassia, coculus indicus, tobacco juice, or cherry laurel water. And this goes on from day to day with absolute impunity. For of what use are tha enactments against adulterations, when the giving effect to them is entrusted to the police.? They would do their duty to the public if they could ; but for the detection of adulterated articles of food and drink, you require the services-of scientific experts —of men whose educated palates would qualify them to decide that a substance was sophisticated in the first instance, aud whose analytic skill would enable them to determine the nature and the amount of the deleterious ingredients, in the second. If the inspector of distilleries were authorised to take this subject in hand, he would speedily astonish consumers and confound adulterators.