H.—l4

unless great cleanliness and certain precautions are observed, a portion of the metal of these vessels becomes dissolved during the operation. Copper can also find its way into spirits distilled in copper stills, as evidenced by my experience in them; but, as already stated, I believe that, at least in the majority of these cases, it has done so solely through the oil of cognac. As to the question of whether the copper has been purposely added to this oil, I think it has, and entirely for chromatic effect; it appears to exist therein as a component part of some kind of soap. Although in none of these spirits is copper present in quantities palpably dangerous, still the presence of this metal in spirits, even as traces only, is very objectionable, as this metal is a cumulative poison, " bringing on colic, loss of appetite, and ultimately jaundice and affection of the brain," so that those in the habit of taking cupreous spirits freely will necessarily accumulate considerable quantities of copper in their system, a circumstance which must greatly interfere, for the reason above given, with their health. Fusel Oil. —It has been considered by some that the inferior quality of several of our spirits, or even their deleterious nature in a few instances^ may be due to the presence of fusel oil in them ; but I have not detected this substance in quantity amongst any of the present samples. As one of the volatile products, however, of alcoholic fermentation when grain or roots is employed, the oil generally occurs in the spirits produced thus even when carefully rectified, and in quantity more or less according as they are distilled off at a low or a high strength. No useful effects would therefore accrue from the estimation of this oil in any of the present samples. I herewith append a list of samples of spirits examined in which copper was present in sufficient quantity to allow of its being readily detected : — Brandy.— Nos. 5, 7, 9, 21, 25, 28, 38, 44, 50, 54, 56, 62, 64, 66, 72. Whisky.— Nos. 14, 18, 22, 29, 39, 42, 43. Bum. —Nos. 5, 6.

TABLE II.—SPIRITS from DUNEDIN.

4

No. Variety. Alcohol per Cent, by Volume. No. Variety. Alcohol per Cent, by Volume. 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 23 25 27 28 30 32 34 36 38 41 42 Brandy ... 4761 4829 47-82 44-84 48-79 44 ■16 •19 50 53 51 56 59 60 62 64 66 67 70 72 71 76 7S SI S3 Brandy ... 47-82 55-41 5042 5604 5211 53 42 5529 54-14 5421 47-57 46-80 5864 48-19 58-88 5354 45-11 4709 5491 47-10 5324 47-74 44-78 50-73 5912 56-61 58-54 54-24 53-77 51-92 5010 5601 47-91 56-14 43 99 5011 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 29 31 33 35 37 39 Whisky 4951 50-61 48-64 5090 46-47 5671 58-42 48-75 5156 48-71 5192 5764 50-14 5469 43 62 48-81 4999 42 ■13 46 ■17 ■IS 51 52 55 57 58 01 G5 GO 71 73 75 77 79 S2 Whisky 4398 50-43 5046 4751 5362 53 64 5649 5699 4598 53-72 58-41 54 27 6234 56 62 6119 48-21 58-42 4927 5231