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Mr. May. Of course, the Ordinance, as no doubt Mr. FRANCIs has observed, in looking through it, is a very unsatisfactory one.
Mr. FRANCIS.-It is very badly worded.
Mr. MAY.--It is very badly worded. With regard to the sale of samshu to Europeans, it is obvious that an amendment should be made in the schedule of the Ordinance. One of the conditions on which a licence is granted is that samshu should not be sold to Europeans either directly or indirectly. Prosecutions for selling samshu to Europeans have failed because the conditions are not set out in the schedule of the Ordinance. Of course, that is a necessary alteration, but, except in minor details and in re-arranging the Ordinance, that is really the only important amendment I would suggest as far as the regulations for the sale of liquors are concerned.
Mr. COBBOLD. And is the Sale of Food and Drugs Ordinance effective in its operation?
Mr. MAY.-It is in operation. The duty of applying it just now to licensed houses has been put into the hands of the Inspector of Weights and Measures. He has already sent some samples for analysis with the result I have already mentioned--that the Analyst could detect no deleterious matter in them.
The CHAIRMAN.--Thank you, Mr. Max.
Mr. FRANK BROWNE, Acting Government Analyst, was then examined as follows:-
The CHAIRMAN. What are the known injurious constituents besides alcohol in- (a) brandy, (b) whisky, (c) gin, (d) rum?
Mr. BROWNE.—The injurious substances are supposed to be the higher alcohols usually represented by the term "fusel oil."
Do you mean by the term "higher alcohols " those that distil at a higher tempera- ture?—The “higher alcohols" is a term used to denote alcohols which have a higher anolecular weight than ordinary alcohol.
Can you estimate these injurious constituents quantitatively ?—Yes.
Are there any others supposed to be injurious in which you can ascertain the presence of qualitatively but not quantitatively ?—No.
Do you know any of the effects or symptoms supposed to be produced by imbibing spirits containing undue or excessive quantities of each or any of these injurious con- stituents?—The higher alcohols when taken in excess cause giddiness, nausea, and other unpleasant symptoms.
What quantities of each or any of the injurious substances you have named are required to produce toxic effects?-About three grains of amylic alcohol, which alcohol may be regarded as typical of these higher alcohols. That is, three grains taken by itself or dissolved in spirit.
What is the average percentage of each severally of the injurious substances you have named in (a) fairly matured good whiskey, brandy, gin, or rum; (b) recently distilled good whiskey, brandy, gin, or rum ?-About 1 per cent. is the amount of higher alcohols in fairly matured good whiskey. A little less than 1 per cent. is usually found in brandy and rum, and a mere trace only in gio.
I understood from you before, when we were discussing the matter, that age did effect new spirit. Do the higher alcohols decompose in any way, and are they thus removed?-Raw spirit is matured by age in cask, but it is not due to the conversion of the higher alcohols into other products. They remain unaltered.
To what are the changes due ?-Evidence points to the conversion of certain empyreumatic substances of the nature of aldehydes which are changed by age.