reader aghast by mentioning a score of perni- the smaller brewers, especially those living in cious articles to be used in beer, remarks in the country-a belief very much strengthened the mildest possible manner, by the very odd taste we sometimes find in ales and porters, and which is certainly not That, however much they may surprise- derived from malt and hops. The common however pernicious or disagreeable they may ap- method of adulterating the national liquor is pear, he has always found them requisite in the by mixing water with it; this is done almost brewing of porter, and he thinks they must invariab y be used by those who wish to continue universally by the publican, and to a very exthe taste, flavor, and effervescence of the beer.traordinary extent. A comparison between And, though several acts of Parliament have the percentage of alcohol to be found in a givbeen passed to prevent porter brewers from using en number of samples of porter and stout, many of them, yet the author can affirm, from procured from what is termed brewers' taps or experience, he could never produce the present agents, with that existing in a similar number flavored porter without them. The intoxicating of samples purchased of publicans, proves this qualities of porter are to be ascribed to the various fact in a very convincing manner. Dr. Has drugs intermixed with it. It is evident some por- sell informs that with regard to the stoutster is more heady than others, and it arises from the greater or less quantity of stupefying ingredients. Malt, to produce intoxication, must be used in such large quantities as would very much diminish, if not totally exclude, the brewers' profit. 99 the alcohol-of specific gravity 796, temperature 60° Fahr.-contained in the former samples ranged from 7.15 per cent. the highest, to 4.53 the lowest; whereas that of the stouts procured from publicans varied, with one exception, from 4.87 per cent. to 3.25 per cent. It is clear from this extract that Mr. Child considered the end of all successful brewing The same difference of strength also existed was to make people dead-drunk at the cheap- between the various samples of porter procured est possible rate, regardless of consequences. from the two sources; the amount of alcohol Among the ingredients that Mr. Morris, anoth- in that obtained from the taps varying from er instructor in the art of brewing, tells us are 4.51 per cent. to 2.42 per cent., whereas that requisite to produce a popular article are-purchased of publicans ranged from 3.97 per cocculus indicus and beans, as intoxicators; cent. to 1.81 per cent. The mixture of water, calamus aromaticus, as a substitute for hops; of course, reduces the color, to bring up which quassia as a bitter; coriander-seeds to give fla- both burnt sugar and molasses are extensively vor; capsicums, caraway-seeds, ginger, and used; and, in order that "the appetite may grains of paradise, to give warmth; whilst oys-grow with what it feeds on," tobacco and salt ter-shells are recommended to afford a touch are copiously added by the publican. Beer, of youth to old beer, and alum to give a " smack porter, and stout, are also liable to be contamof age to new; and when it is desired to inated by the presence of lead. The universal bring it more rapidly "forward," the presiding use of pumping-machines, and the storing of Hecate is told to drop sulphuric acid into her the casks in the cellars, sometimes at a considbrew; by this means an imitation of the age erable distance from the bar, necessitates the of eighteen months was given in a few in- use of long leaden pipes, in passing through stants. Even the "fine cauliflower head," which the liquid, if "stale" or sour, oxidates a which is held to be the sign of excellence in portion of the lead. This fact is so well stout, was and, for all we know, still is-ar-known both to public and publican, that the tificially made by mixing with the article a first pot or two drawn in the morning is gendetestable compound called "beer headings," erally set aside, as, from having lain all night composed of common green vitriol, alum, and in the pipe, it is justly considered injurious. salt, and sometimes by the simple addition of The liberality of the barmaid in thus sacrifisalts of steel. That these articles were com-cing a portion of the liquor is more apparent monly employed we have the evidence of the than real. The reader has, perhaps, noticed Excise department, which published a long that most public-house counters are fitted up list of such ingredients seized by them on the with metal tops, in which gratings are inserted premises of brewers and brewers' druggists.* to drain off all the spilt liquor, drainings of Many of the glaring adulterations are proba- glasses, heel-taps of pots, etc.; down these bly no longer in general use, although, from gratings goes "the first draught" with its dose the evidence given before a recent committee of oxide of lead. The receptacle below, of the House of Commons, it is believed that which contains all this refuse, together with sulphuric acid, salt of steel, sulphate of iron, that at the bottoms of barrels, the publican and cocculus indicus are still resorted to by either returns to the brewer, or empties it himself into half-filled casks. It will be scarcely necessary to say that the great London brewers have never laid themselves open to the suspicion of having adulterated their Liquor. The public were very needlessly alarmed some two or three years ago by a statement made by M. Payen, a celebrated French chemist, that strychnine was being made for article even to this, and its taste is quite suffiEngland, where it was used in the manufac- cient to prove that only an infinitesimal porture of the bitter-beer of this country. This tion of it ever came from Oporto. statement was copied by the "Medical Times," London gin, under a hundred names, is noand from thence finding its way to Printing- toriously a compound. Most people flatter house Square, became generally diffused, to themselves that its peculiar flavor is due to the the horror and discomfiture of pale-ale drink- admixture of sugar and juniper berries alone. ers, and not without reason, when it is remem- It is, however, a much more elaborate concocbered that one-sixth of a grain of this poison tion than the public imagine. Those accushas been known to prove fatal, and a very tomed to the unsweetened West Country gin much smaller quantity, daily taken, to have think the London article only fit to drink when the effect of inducing tetanic spasms, and of raw, and in many cases they are right; for the otherwise seriously injuring the nervous sys-publican and inferior spirit-dealers, like milktem. We are happy to be able to state that men, are great customers of the pump. It apthe lovers of Bass and Allsopp may quaff their pears that some of the samples examined by tonic draught in future without any fear of the analyst contained only half as much alcosach terrible results; the bitterness of pale-ale hol as was present in others; and as the gin has been found, on analysis, to be entirely due of commerce is never above proof, it follows to the extract of hops. Furthermore, this that these specimens were scarcely as good as beverage, when selected from the stores of the "stiff" gin-and-water. So much for the pure brewers or their agents, has universally proved spirit; now for the fancy work or "flavorings." to be perfectly pure. We say, from the The quantity of sugar in the samples examinstores of the Burton brewers, or their agents, ed ranged from 3 oz. 4 drms. 23 grains, to 13 because there is no absolute certainty of pro- oz. 4 drms.; two of them contained oil of cincuring the article genuine from any other namon, or, more probably, of cassia; seven source. The label on the bottle is no sure contained Cayenne pepper, some of them in guarantee, for used bottles, with their labels very large quantities; and most of the samples intact, are, in many instances, re-filled by pub-contained combined sulphates; whilst there is beans with an inferior article, and sold, of good authority for stating that sulphate of zinc, course, at the price of the real. We have or white vitriol, is often used. The very good reason to believe that this trick is very aften practised in a variety of instances, to the manifest injury of the public and brewers. Wine is far too wide a subject to be treated here. The great mass of ports at a cheap and moderate price are made up, it is well known, of several kinds, and doctored according to cost. There is one compound, however, which particularly claims our attention,-"publicans' port." We are all of us familiar with the anLouncement to be seen in the windows of such tradesmen: "Fine old crusty port, 28. 9d. a bottle" and the extraordinary thing is, that pon opening the sample we often find that it erusted, and that the cork is deeply stained. How can they afford to sell an article bearing the appearance of such age and quality at so bw a price? The answer is simple: wine, crust, and stained cork are fabricated. There "beaded bubbles winking at the brim," which To reduce unsweetened Gin, Which added together makes 252 gallons. 36 288 19 This done, let one pound of alum be just covered a manufactory in London, where, by a chemical process, they get up bees'-wing to perfection, and deposit it in the bottles so as atly to imitate the natural crust; here arks are also stained to assume any age that required. The wine itself contains a very hade inferior port, the rest being composed of cheap red French wine, brandy, and logwood a coloring matter, if required. The portvine sold over the bar at 3d. a glass and we are assured that this article is making its way We wonder that Mr. Gough, the great tempreference to gin in the low neighborhoods, perance advocate, never armed himself with gin-palace, to our knowledge, selling a one of these recipes, in order to convince peoatt a week over the counter-is an inferior ple of the noxious liquids they are invited to DLXXI. LIVING AGE. VOL. X. 6 reader aghast by mentioning a score of perni- the smaller brewers, especially those living in cious articles to be used in beer, remarks in the country-a belief very much strengthened the mildest possible manner,by the very odd taste we sometimes find in ales and porters, and which is certainly not That, however much they may surprise-derived from malt and hops. The common however pernicious or disagreeable they may ap- method of adulterating the national liquor is pear, he has always found them requisite in the by mixing water with it; this is done almost brewing of porter, and he thinks they must in- universally by the publican, and to a very exvariab y be used by those who wish to continue the taste, flavor, and effervescence of the beer.traordinary extent. A comparison between And, though several acts of Parliament have the percentage of alcohol to be found in a givbeen passed to prevent porter brewers from using en number of samples of porter and stout, many of them, yet the author can affirm, from procured from what is termed brewers' taps or experience, he could never produce the present agents, with that existing in a similar number flavored porter without them. The intoxicating of samples purchased of publicans, proves this qualities of porter are to be ascribed to the various fact in a very convincing manner. Dr. Has drugs intermixed with it. It is evident some por- sell informs that with regard to the stouts-ter is more heady than others, and it arises from the greater or less quantity of stupefying ingredients. Malt, to produce intoxication, must be used in such large quantities as would very much diminish, if not totally exclude, the brewers' profit. the alcohol-of specific gravity 796, temperature 60° Fahr.-contained in the former samples ranged from 7.15 per cent. the highest, to 4.53 the lowest; whereas that of the stouts procured from publicans varied, with one exception, from 4.87 per cent. to 3.25 per cent. It is clear from this extract that Mr. Child considered the end of all successful brewing The same difference of strength also existed was to make people dead-drunk at the cheap-between the various samples of porter procured est possible rate, regardless of consequences. from the two sources; the amount of alcohol Among the ingredients that Mr. Morris, anoth- in that obtained from the taps varying from er instructor in the art of brewing, tells us are 4.51 per cent. to 2.42 per cent., whereas that requisite to produce a popular article are-purchased of publicans ranged from 3.97 per cocculus indicus and beans, as intoxicators; cent. to 1.81 per cent. The mixture of water, calamus aromaticus, as a substitute for hops; of course, reduces the color, to bring up which quassia as a bitter; coriander-seeds to give fla- both burnt sugar and molasses are extensively vor; capsicums, caraway-seeds, ginger, and used; and, in order that "the appetite may grains of paradise, to give warmth; whilst oys-grow with what it feeds on," tobacco and salt ter-shells are recommended to afford a touch are copiously added by the publican. Beer, of youth to old beer, and alum to give a "smack porter, and stout, are also liable to be contamof age" to new; and when it is desired to inated by the presence of lead. The universal bring it more rapidly" forward," the presiding use of pumping-machines, and the storing of Hecate is told to drop sulphuric acid into her the casks in the cellars, sometimes at a considbrew; by this means an imitation of the age erable distance from the bar, necessitates the of eighteen months was given in a few in- use of long leaden pipes, in passing through stants. Even the "fine cauliflower head," which the liquid, if "stale" or sour, oxidates a which is held to be the sign of excellence in portion of the lead. This fact is so well stout, was-and, for all we know, still is-ar-known both to public and publican, that the tificially made by mixing with the article a first pot or two drawn in the morning is gendetestable compound called "beer headings," erally set aside, as, from having lain all night composed of common green vitriol, alum, and in the pipe, it is justly considered injurious. salt, and sometimes by the simple addition of The liberality of the barmaid in thus sacrifisalts of steel. That these articles were com- cing a portion of the liquor is more apparent monly employed we have the evidence of the than real. The reader has, perhaps, noticed Excise department, which published a long that most public-house counters are fitted up list of such ingredients seized by them on the with metal tops, in which gratings are inserted premises of brewers and brewers' druggists.* to drain off all the spilt liquor, drainings of Many of the glaring adulterations are proba- glasses, heel-taps of pots, etc.; down these bly no longer in general use, although, from gratings goes "the first draught" with its dose the evidence given before a recent committee of oxide of lead. The receptacle below, of the House of Commons, it is believed that sulphuric acid, salt of steel, sulphate of iron, and cocculus indicus are still resorted to by *It will be scarcely necessary to say that the great London brewers have never laid themselves open to the suspicion of having adulterated their liquor. which contains all this refuse, together with that at the bottoms of barrels, the publican either returns to the brewer, or empties it himself into half-filled casks. The public were very needlessly alarmed some two or three years ago by a statement made by M. Payen, a celebrated French chemist, that strychnine was being made for article even to this, and its taste is quite suffiEngland, where it was used in the manufac- cient to prove that only an infinitesimal por ture of the bitter-beer of this country. This tion of it ever came from Oporto. statement was copied by the " Medical Times," London gin, under a hundred names, is noand from thence finding its way to Printing- toriously a compound. Most people flatter house Square, became generally diffused, to themselves that its peculiar flavor is due to the the horror and discomfiture of pale-ale drink- admixture of sugar and juniper berries alone. ers, and not without reason, when it is remem- It is, however, a much more elaborate concocbered that one-sixth of a grain of this poison tion than the public imagine. Those accushas been known to prove fatal, and a very tomed to the unsweetened West Country gin much smaller quantity, daily taken, to have think the London article only fit to drink when the effect of inducing tetanic spasms, and of raw, and in many cases they are right; for the otherwise seriously injuring the nervous sys-publican and inferior spirit-dealers, like milktem. We are happy to be able to state that men, are great customers of the pump. It apthe lovers of Bass and Allsopp may quaff their pears that some of the samples examined by tonic draught in future without any fear of the analyst contained only half as much alcosuch terrible results; the bitterness of pale-ale hol as was present in others; and as the gin has been found, on analysis, to be entirely due of commerce is never above proof, it follows to the extract of hops. Furthermore, this that these specimens were scarcely as good as beverage, when selected from the stores of the "stiff" gin-and-water. So much for the pure brewers or their agents, has universally proved spirit; now for the fancy work or "flavorings." to be perfectly pure. We say, from the The quantity of sugar in the samples examinstores of the Burton brewers, or their agents, ed ranged from 3 oz. 4 drms. 23 grains, to 13 because there is no absolute certainty of pro- oz. 4 drms.; two of them contained oil of cincuring the article genuine from any other namon, or, more probably, of cassia; seven source. The label on the bottle is no sure contained Cayenne pepper, some of them in guarantee, for used bottles, with their labels very large quantities; and most of the samples intact, are, in many instances, re-filled by pub-contained combined sulphates; whilst there is licans with an inferior article, and sold, of good authority for stating that sulphate of zinc, course, at the price of the real. We have or white vitriol, is often used. The very good reason to believe that this trick is very" beaded bubbles winking at the brim," which often practised in a variety of instances, to the are considered to be a proof of the strength of manifest injury of the public and brewers. publican has his "Handbook" to teach him To reduce unsweetened Gin, the article, are produced artificially. Mr. Wine is far too wide a subject to be treated Mitchell, in his "Handbook of Commerce," here. The great mass of ports at a cheap and states that this is done by adding a mixture moderate price are made up, it is well known, compounded of alum, carbonate of potash, alof several kinds, and doctored according to mond-oil, sulphuric acid, and spirits of wine. cost. There is one compound, however, which "The earth hath bubbles as the water hath, particularly claims our attention,-"publicans' and these are of them." One would think port." We are all of us familiar with the an- that it would be to the interest of the trade to nouncement to be seen in the windows of such keep their illicit practices "dark" but the tradesmen: "Fine old erusty port, 28. 9d. a bottle;" and the extraordinary thing is, that upon opening the sample we often find that it is crusted, and that the cork is deeply stained. How can they afford to sell an article bearing the appearance of such age and quality at so low a price? The answer is simple: wine, crust, and stained cork are fabricated. There is a manufactory in London, where, by a chemical process, they get up bees'-wing to perfection, and deposit it in the bottles so as exactly to imitate the natural crust; here corks are also stained to assume any age that is required. The wine itself contains a very little inferior port, the rest being composed of cheap red French wine, brandy, and logwood as a coloring matter, if required. The portwine sold over the bar at 3d. a glass-and we are assured that this article is making its way We wonder that Mr. Gough, the great temin preference to gin in the low neighborhoods, perance advocate, never armed himself with one gin-palace, to our knowledge, selling a one of these recipes, in order to convince peobutt a week over the counter-is an inferior ple of the noxious liquids they are invited to DLXXXI. LIVING AGE. VOL. X. 6 Which added together makes 252 gallons. 36 288 19 แ 307 gallons. This done, let one pound of alum be just covered What, Sir, how dare you practise thus drink under the most inviting names. In pure leaf. Out of fifty-seven samples examevery quarter of the town we see gin-palaces ined, only one was sophisticated, and that, apseizing upon the corner houses of the streets, parently from its contents, by accident. The just as scrofula seizes upon the joints of the only adulterated samples discovered at all, human frame, and through their ever open were exactly where we might have expected doors streams of squalid wretches are continu- to have found them, in the possession of a ally pouring in and out; could they be inform- hawker at Whitechapel. These, on examinaed that they enter to gulp oil of vitriol, oil of tion, turned out to be made up of two twisted turpentine, and sulphuric acid, among other wrappers or layers of thin paper, tinted of a acrid and deleterious compounds-that the tap bistre color, while the interior consisted enof the publican spouts corroding fire, like that tirely of hay, not a particle of tobacco enterwhich leaped up from the wooden table at the ing into their composition. The second excommand of Mephistopheles, in Auerbach's ample of a spurious cigar was purchased at a cellar, they would feel inclined to exclaim with review at Hyde Park. It consisted externalSiebald to the fiend :ly of tobacco-leaf, but was made internally of hay. Our readers are familiar enough with the fellows who vend these fraudulent articles, made to sell and not to smoke; they are generally to be found at fairs and races, or any crowded place in the open air, where they can escape speedily from their victimized cus tomers. There is a class of men who make a very good livelihood in the metropolis by perambulating the streets and looking out for ingenuous youths. Towards such they furtively approach, and, like the tempter of old, whisper in their ear of forbidden fruit. The unwary are constantly taken in by one of these serpents, in the shape of a sailor straight from the docks, who intimates, in a hurried manner, that, if we wanted any "smuggled cigars," he has just a box to sell cheap round the corner. In general these worthies need not fear the exciseman, as the article they have to sell does not come under the name of tobacco at all. Gin, it appears, is almost exclusively doctored in this highly deleterious manner, although all spirits are open to sophistication, but especially brandy, which, on account of its price, pays well for the trouble. Mr. Shannon, deeply versed in the "art and mystery' of the trade of the publican, informs us that brandy should be "made up" for "retail" by the addition of 10 per cent. of flavored raisin wine, a little of the tincture of grains of paradise, cherry-laurel water, and spirit of almondcake: "add also 10 handfuls of oak sawdust, and give it complexion with burnt sugar." If we can give the dram-drinker little comfort, we can at least reassure the smoker. "Everybody says" that common cigars are made out of cabbages, and tobacco has always been suspected of containing many adultera- If, however, cigars are not open to the charge tions. These charges have been made how- of being adulterated, they are the subject of ever at random, and the result of chemical an- innumerable frauds, inasmuch as those of alysis and examinations by the microscope has English manufacture are passed off as foreign proved that this article of daily consumption is ones. Thus the so-called Bengal cheroots are remarkably pure. The carefully-searching all home-made imitations of Chinsurah chemicroscope of Dr. Hassall has not succeeded in roots. In order to pass them off as the genufinding any other than the genuine leaf among ine article they are sold in boxes, branded forty samples of manufactured tobacco, neither and labelled in exact imitation of those sent were there any sophistications discovered, with from India. It may be asked why such cigars the exceptions of salt, sugar, and water. An if made out of the tobacco leaf, are not as inquiry into the specimens of the rolled and good as those of Eastern or Spanish manufactwisted article was equally consoling to the ture? The real reason is, that the tobacco maker and chewer; now and then, it is true, loses much of its fine flavor and aroma by the Excise officers make seizures in the warehouses of the tobacco manufacturers, of dock, rhubarb, coltsfoot, and other leaves, but to a very insignificant extent, considering the value of the article and the heavy duty upon it. He who, like Byron, prefers the naked beauties of the leaf in the shape of a cigar, will be equally gratified to hear that such a thing as adulteration scarcely exists in this form of tobacco at least, not when purchased in the shops. Even if we descend to a penny "Pickwick," we find nothing in it but the packing and keeping; otherwise the English cigar would be equal to any other. The old impression that the Manilla cheroot is impregnated with opium would not appear to be correct from the investigations of Dr. Hassall, who has failed to discover that narcotic in any of the specimens which he tested for it. We have to mention one preparation of tobacco of which we cannot speak quite so favorably as of the others. Snuff is, we are sorry to say, vilely adulterated, and some kinds poisonously. The law allows the use of salt and water and lime-water in its manufacture, |