fessor Levi gives the following statistics on this subject in regard to England: In 1860, the committals for drunkenness in England and Wales were 88,000; and in 1870, 134,000, an increase of 50 per cent. In Manchester the increase from 1860 to 1870 was 375 per cent., or, computed according to the increase of population, 353 per cent. In London, drunkenness is in the proportion of 5'43 per 1000; in Leeds, 7-40; in Manchester, 3113; and in Liverpool, 42.82. It must be remembered, however, that these figures are based upon mere committals, which greatly depend on the activity of the police, and the noisy or quiet character of the drunkard. Whether Alcohol is necessary or not.-All experience, both at home and abroad, shows, by facts that cannot be disputed, that a person can do quite as hard work without alcohol as with it; and probably, as the limits between moderation and excess are easily passed, and as the generality of mankind, even without intending it, err on the latter side, the result is that a comparison between total abstainers and even temperate men generally terminates in favour of the former. It would appear that total abstainers live longer, are better citizens, and can do more work than the rest of mankind. The figures of the United Kingdom Temperance and General Provident Institution go far to prove the above. This insurance society is divided into two sections. One section consists of abstainers, the other of persons selected as not known to be intemperate. The claims for five years anticipated in the temperance section were £100,446, but the actual claims were only £72,676. In the general section the anticipated claims were £196,352; the actual claims no less than £230,297. In war, the march of 2000 miles in the War of Independence by Cornwallis and his troops (1783), the Maroon War of Jamaica, the 400 miles' march of an English army across the desert from Komer, on the Red Sea, a march of 1000 miles in the Kaffir War, experience at sieges, in action, in hot, temperate, and cold climates, where abstinence was either forced through circumstances, or followed, shows to every unprejudiced mind that soldiers endure more fatigue, are healthier, and fight better without stimulants than with them, and this fact is endorsed by every commander of the present day. The excess and abuse of spirits, as before remarked, lost the French their military prestige in the late war. In very hot and very cold climates the Indian observers and the Arctic explorers all unite in condemning its use in the slightest excess, or even in moderate doses. It does not warm the body in cold climates, and the reaction that follows the exciting of the circulation is followed by a dangerous depression; whilst in hot, it combines with the climate, and quickly produces disease. In this country and others, various attempts have been made to repress the growing evil of drunkenness. Mr. Dalrymple introduced a bill in 1871, which, if it had passed, would have committed the poorer class of habitual drunkards to a reformatory, while, practically, it would have allowed the opulent drunkard to go free, unless he was convicted of drunkenness. The American law makes no invidious distinction in this way, but treats all alike. The following is an American statute on the subject: Revised Statutes of New York.-Title II. of the custody and disposition of the estates of idiots, lunatics, persons of unsound mind, and drunkards. Section II.-Whenever the overseers of the poor of any city or town in this State discover any person resident therein to be an habitual drunkard, having property to the amount of 250 dollars, which may be endangered by means of such drunkenness, it shall be their duty to make application to the Court of Chancery for the exercise of its powers and juris dictions. Section III-If such drunkard have property to an amount less than 250 dollars, the overseers may make such application to the Court of Common Pleas of the county, which is hereby vested with the same powers in relation to the person and real and personal estate of such drunkard as are by this title conferred in the Court of Chancery, and shall in all respects proceed in like manner, subject to an appeal to the Court of Chancery. In England the Total Abstinence Society have made great efforts to inculcate their doctrines. Unfortunately, however, zeal so often leads their votaries beyond the bounds of discretion, that it brings them into ridicule, although they certainly have reason and experience on their side. At Versailles, the mayor in 1850 established temperance prizes, varying from 2000 francs to 50. These were conferred upon the most honest, frugal, and temperate workmen in Versailles. Alcoholometry This word signifies the determination of the amount of alcohol in any given liquid. This may be done in a great variety of ways. 1. By using instruments called hydrometers, which, by sinking to a certain depth, indicate the specific gravity. The Revenue use Sykes' hydrometer, but there are others made of glass which are in use, and are much cheaper. 2. By distilling the alcohol in a more or less pure state from the liquid supposed to contain it, and then taking its specific gravity. 3. Gröning's method - from the temperature of the vapour. 4. From the boiling-point. 5. From the expansion of the liquid when heated. 6. From the tension of the vapour. (Geissler's alcoholometer.). TABLE showing the DENSITIES and VALUES OF SPIRITS at 60° F. corresponding to every indication of Sykes' Hydrometer. 7. From the difference between the specific | TABLE showing the ALCOHOLIC CONTENT gravity before and after ebullition. 8. Brande's method. 9. Organic analysis. 1. Sykes' hydrometer is a useful instrument, and is employed by the Revenue. There are tables always sold with the instrument, and full directions for use. The one on the preceding page may, however, be useful. It is taken from Loftus's "Inland Revenue Officers' Manual." BY VOLUME OF BOILING SPIRITS AND OF 172 8 903 80 196 4 61 174.0 90 75 198.6 55 1746 89 70 201-0 50 176.0 C8O20753210 2. The second method, for medical officers of health and analysts, is the best, as it is especially applicable to beer, wine, sweetened spirits, &c. &c. 300 parts of the liquid to be examined is accurately measured and distilled in a retort, until exactly a third has passed over. Sometimes salt is added to the liquid, in order to raise its boiling-point. The specific gravity of the distillate is now taken, and the 4. The Boiling-Point.-Within certain limits percentage found from the foregoing table. In practice it is, however, generally conthe boiling-point of alcoholic liquids is not venient to operate on smaller quantities than materially altered by admixture with saline and organic matter. A thermometer with a the foregoing. Take 100 centimetres; distil movable scale is employed. Before using it over about a third; dilute it with water until the thermometer is immersed in boiling disit weighs 50 grammes; bring up the tempera- tilled water, and the 212° of the scale accuture to 16-5° C. (or 60° F.); then fill a 50-rately adjusted to the level of the mercury; gramme-specific-gravity bottle, and weigh and calculate by the aid of the table as before, or the following short one may be used: Brande's method has no claim to accuracy, but it is extremely expeditious, and therefore often convenient. The liquid is put into a graduated glass tube, decolourised by a strong solution of subacetate of lead and powdered litharge, and then saturated with carbonate of potash. After remaining at rest a little time the alcohol floats to the surface in a well-marked stratum, the volume of which is then read off. In certain cases a very small quantity of alcohol may have to be operated on. There would then appear no other way of determining it than by actual organic analysis, and calculation of it as carbonic anhydride and water. Alcoholic Beverages, Effects ofThe more commonly used spirits-brandy, whisky, gin, and rum-have an action similar to alcohol. But the flavouring-matters, essential oils, and adulterations that they contain modify their action considerably. The alcohol also often contains minute traces of ether, and is mixed with small quantities of butyl, propyl, and amyl alcohols. They are the worst form of alcoholic beverages, as they are frequently taken undiluted; and the evidence appears clear that intemperance from spirits shortens life more than intemperance from other inThe different species of toxicating drinks. beer, porter, &c., when pure and unadulterated, appear to act to a very slight degree as a food. Liebig observed that less bread was eaten in families where beer was drunk. The starchy and extractive matters in the beer act like sugar, &c., and tend to raise fat; indeed, those who drink freely of this liquid, it is well known, generally become corpulent. The bitter also is stomachic and tonic. The action of the free acids is not known. Certain it is, however, that some people cannot drink a glass of beer without experiencing rheumatic pains in the joints, which has been ascribed to the acidity. The heavy, low-priced beer occasions drunkenness of a peculiarly brutal character. Wines are so various that little can be said of them in a general way. The clarets and subacid wines are highly antiscorbutic, and the light wines are to be recommended in preference to the stronger. Port, sherry, beer, stout, &c., appear to predispose to gout sooner than claret, light German, and other wines. There may be a little nourishment in the albuminous principle of the wine, but this is not proved. It is probable that the vegetable salts, the ethers and sugar, play the most important part in the system. Red subacid wines have been proposed to be introduced as a drink in the navy on account of their antiscorbutic powers. Some of the Indian alcoholic drinks appear to cause a temporary madness. For the effects of robur, absinthe, &c., see ABSINTHE, ROBUR. The following is Mr. Brande's table, corrected by Dr. Henderson, and will show the strength of wines and spirits in use in this country and elsewhere. PROPORTION of ALCOHOL, sp. gr. 0·825, in 100 parts by measure of the following Wines and Malt and Spirituous Liquors: 40. Côte Rôtie 12 32 48. Mead 41. Gooseberry wine 11'84 49. 42, Orange wine, ave rage of six sam 45. Rhenish wine, H. 8-71 7:32, penalty not exceeding forty shillings for every day Ale, Burton 8.88 on which the same is not so undefaced, and any conEdinburgh 6:20 stable may affix or reaffix such placard during the Dorchester 5.56 Average 6.87 said two weeks, or such further time as may be 50. Brown stout. 6.80 directed by a court of summary jurisdiction. " 11-26 51. London porter, 44. Elder wine 9.87 London small beer, average 46. Cider, highest 52. Brandy 1-28 53.39 53.68 51-60 54:32 53-90 20. Every licensed person who has in his possession or in any part of his premises any adulterated liquor, knowing it to be adulterated, or any deleterious ingredient specified in the first schedule hereto, or added to such schedule by Order of Her Majesty in Council, for the possession of which he is unable to account to the satisfaction of the court, shall be deemed knowingly to have exposed for sale adulterated liquor on such premises. 35 & 36 VICT. c. 94. An Act for Regulating the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors.-(10th August 1872.) Adulteration. Sect. 19.-(1.) Every person who mixes or causes to be mixed with any intoxicating liquor sold or exposed for sale by him any deleterious ingredient, that is to say, any of the ingredients specified in the first schedule to this Act, or added to such schedule by any Order in Council made under this Act, or any ingredient deleterious to health; and (2.) Every person who knowingly sells, or keeps, or exposes for sale any intoxicating liquor mixed with any deleterious ingredients (in this Act referred to as adulterated liquor), shall be liable for the first offence to a penalty not exceeding twenty pounds, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one month, with or without hard labour; and for the second and any subsequent offence to a penalty not exceeding one hundred pounds, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, with or without hard labour, and to be declared to be a disqualified person for a period of not less than two years nor exceeding ten years, and shall also in the case of the first as well as any subsequent offence forfeit all adulterated liquor in his possession with the vessels containing the same. Where the person so convicted is a licensed person, he shall further, in the case of a second or any subsequent offence, be liable to forfeit his license, and the premises in respect of which such license is granted shall be liable to be declared to be disqualified premises for a period of not less than two years nor exceeding five years. In the case of a first offence and any subsequent offence until the license is forfeited, the conviction shall be recorded on the license of the person convicted. Where a licensed person is convicted of any offence under this section, and his license is not forfeited for such offence, the police authority of the district shall cause a placard stating such conviction to be affixed to the premises. Such placard shall be of such size and form, and shall be printed with such letters, and shall contain such particulars, and shall be affixed to such parts of the licensed premises the police authority may think fit, and such licensed person shall keep the same affixed during two weeks after the same is first affixed; and if he fails to comply with the provisions of this section with respect to keeping affixed such placard, or defaces or allows such placard to be defaced, or if the same is defaced, and he fails forthwith to renew the same, he shall be liable to a 22. Any of the following officers, that is to say, any superintendent of police, or other constable authorised in writing by the police authority so to do, and any officer of Inland Revenue, may procure samples of any intoxicating liquor from any person selling or keeping or exposing the same for sale (in this section referred to as the vendor); he may procure such samples either by purchasing the same, or by requiring the vendor to show him and allow him to inspect all or any of the vessels in which any intoxicating liquor in the possession of the vendor is stored, and the place of the storage thereof, and to give him samples of such intoxicating liquor on payment or tender of the value of such samples. If the vendor, or his agent or servant, when required in pursuance of this section, refuses or fails to admit the officer, or refuses or wilfully omits to show all or any of the vessels in which intoxicating liquor is stored, or the place of the storage thereof, or to permit the officer to inspect the same, or to give any samples thereof, or to furnish the officer with such light or assistance as he may require, he shall be liable to the same penalty, forfeiture, and disqualifications as if he knowingly sold or exposed for sale adulterated liquor. When the officer has by either of the means aforesaid procured samples of intoxicating liquor, he shall cause the same to be analysed, at such convenient place and time, and by such person, as the Commissioners of Inland Revenue may appoint; provided always that a reasonable notice shall have been given by such officer to the vendor by whom such sample was furnished, to enable such vendor, if he think fit, to attend at the time when such sample is open for analysis; and if it appear to the person so analysing that the said samples of intoxicating liquor are adulterated liquor within the meaning of this Act, he shall certify such fact, and the certificate so given shall be receivable as evidence in any proceedings that may be taken against any person in pursuance of this Act, subject to the right of any person against whom proceedings are taken to require the attendance of the person making the analysis for the purpose of cross-examination. The vendor may require the officer, in his presence, to annex to every vessel containing any samples for analyses the name and address of the vendor, and to secure with a seal or seals belonging to the vendor the vessel containing such samples, and the name and address annexed thereto, in such manner that the vessel cannot be opened, or the name and address taken off, without breaking such seals; and a corresponding sample, sealed by such |