“Multum, 84 lbs.; cocculus indicus, 12 lbs.; colouring, 4 galls; honey, about 180 lbs.; hartshorn shavings, 14 lbs.; Spanish juice, 46 lbs.; orange powder, 17 lbs.; ginger, 56 lbs.; grains of paradise, 44 lbs.; quassia, 10 lbs.; liquorice, 64 lbs.; carraway seeds, 40 lbs.; multum, 26 lbs.” “Capsicum, 88 lbs.; copperas, 310 lbs.; colouring and drugs, 84 lbs.; mixed drugs, 240 lbs.; coriander seed, 2 lbs.; beer colouring, 24 gallons.” (P. 186-189.) [The list which includes these articles is copied from the minutes of the committee of the House of Commons.]
Some of the substances above enumerated may be thought comparatively harmless. But others are absolutely poisonous.
“To increase the intoxicating quality of beer, the deleterious vegetable substance, called cocculus indicus, and the extract of this poisonous berry, technically called black extract, or by some, hard multum, are employed. Opium, tobacco, nux vomica, and extracts of poppies, have also been used.—This fraud constitutes by far the most censurable offence committed by unprincipled brewers. And it is a lamentable reflection to behold so great a number of brewers prosecuted, and convicted of this crime. Nor is it less deplorable to find the names of druggists, eminent in trade, implicated in the fraud, by selling the unlawful ingredients to brewers for fraudulent purposes.” (P. 205, 206.)
Then follows a list of thirty-four convictions of brewers, for receiving or using illegal ingredients.—We perfectly agree with the following observations.
“That a minute portion of an unwholesome ingredient, daily taken in beer, cannot fail to be productive of mischief, admits of no doubt: and there is reason to believe that a small quantity of a narcotic substance (and cocculus indicus is
a powerful narcotic), daily taken into the stomach, together with an intoxicating liquor, is highly more efficacious than it would be without the liquor. The effect may be gradual; and a strong constitution, especially if it be assisted with constant and hard labour, may counteract the destructive consequences perhaps for many years. But it never fails to show its baneful effects at last.” (P. 209, 210.)
We now come to the business of another small portion of the community, namely, the tea-drinkers. Perhaps the following descriptions will assist them in forming a diagnosis.
“All the samples of spurious green tea (nineteen in number) which I have examined, were coloured with carbonate of copper, (a poisonous substance), and not by means of verdigrise, or copperas.” (P. 240.) “Mr. Twining asserts, that ‘the leaves of spurious tea are boiled in a copper, with copperas and sheep’s dung.’” (P. 240. Note.) “Tea rendered poisonous by carbonate of copper, speedily imparts to liquid ammonia, a fine sapphire blue tinge. It is only necessary to shake up in a stopped vial, for a few minutes, a tea-spoonful of the suspected leaves, with about two table-spoonsful of liquid ammonia, diluted with half its bulk of water. The supernatant liquid will exhibit a fine blue colour, if the minutest quantity of copper be present. Green tea, coloured with carbonate of copper, when thrown into water impregnated with sulphuretted hydrogen gas, immediately acquires a black colour. Genuine green tea, suffers no change from the action of these tests.” (P. 241.)
The following extracts may perhaps prove interesting to brandy-drinkers.
“‘It is a custom among retailing distillers, which I have not taken notice of in this directory, to put one third or one fourth part of proof molasses brandy, proportionably, to what rum they dispose of; which cannot be distinguished, but by an extraordinary palate, and does not at all lessen the body or proof of the goods; but makes them about two shillings a gallon cheaper; and must be well mixed and incorporated together in your retailing cask. But you should keep some of the best rum, not adulterated, to please your customers, whose judgment and palate must be humoured.—When you are to draw a sample of goods to show a person that has judgment in the proof, do not draw your goods into a phial to be tasted, or make experiment of the strength thereof that way, because the proof will not hold except the goods be exceedingly strong. But draw the pattern of goods either into a glass from the cock, to run very small, or rather draw off a small quantity into a little pewter pot, and pour it into your glass, extending your pot as high above the glass as you can without wasting it, which makes the goods carry a better head abundantly, than if the same goods were to be put and tried in a phial.—You must be so prudent as to make a distinction of the persons you have to deal with. What goods you sell to gentlemen for their own use, who require a great deal of attendance, and as much for time of payment, you must take a considerably greater price than of others; what goods you sell to persons where you believe there is a manifest, or at least some hazard of your money, you may safely sell for more than common profit; what goods you sell to the poor, especially medicinally, (as many of your goods are sanative), be as compassionate as the cases require.—All brandies, whether French, Spanish, or English, being proof goods, will admit of one pint of liquor‘ (water) ‘to each gallon, to be made up and incorporated therewith in your cask, for retail, or selling smaller quantities. And all persons that insist upon having proof goods, which not one in twenty understand, you must supply out of what goods are not so reduced, though at a higher price.’” (P. 267-270.)