"COMPOUND" OR "BLENDED" WHISKY
1
1791 in 1850. A general feeling was expressed that while all the members regretted the demise of the Dermatological Society - of London they were looking forward hopefully to the dermatological section of the Royal Society of Medicine to carry on the good work initiated by the society. EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER. DURIKG the last few days cases of epidemic cerebro-spinal fever have been reported at places in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. In Scotland during the week ended June 22nd there were five deaths from this cause registered in Glasgow, five in Edinburgh, one in Paisley, and one in Leith. In Glasgow the weekly report issued on June 21st showed that there were at that time 87 cases under treatment. In Belfast during the week ended June 22nd there were 20 deaths registered as being due to this cause. "COMPOUND" OR "BLENDED" WHISKY. THE Secretary of the United States Department of Agri- culture has recently issued a bulletin dealing with the labelling of whisky under the new pure food law. The first aim of this law is to insure, so far as possible, that the purchaser of a food or drug shall obtain nothing differing from that which he wishes to buy. In a secondary way the law also seeks to prevent, or at least to discourage, the use of deleterious substances as food or drugs. Before expressing an official opinion on the labelling of different brands of whisky considerable attention is given to the etymological distinctions between the terms "compound" " and "blend." Webster defines a "compound" as "that which is com- pounded or formed by the union or mixture of elements, ingredients, or parts; a combination of simples." Accord- ing to the same authority a "blend" is "a thorough mixture of one thing with another, as colors, liquors, &c., a shading or merging of one colour, tint, &c., into another, so that it cannot be known where one ends or the other begins." " Thus ’’ blend " and " compound " are substantially synonymous terms when applied to mixtures of liquids in ordinary speech. But the pure food law establishes a distinction between them, based upon the character of the ingredients entering into the mixture, the word blend being defined in Section 8 as " a mixture of like substances, not excluding harmless coloring or flavoring ingredients used for the purpose of coloring and flavoring only." The opinion of the Attorney-General of the United States on the meaning of these words is that the terms "blend" and "blended" can be properly used only when a single sub- stantive, either in the singular or plural number, need follow to designate the combination appropriately and adequately. Thus we can speak of a "blend of teas " or a "blended tea," but not of a "blend of tea and coffee." In applying these terms to whisky consideration is first given to a definition of the term " whisky which has been approved by the United States Department of Agriculture. " Whisky is a distillate, at the required alcoholic strength, from the fermented mash of malted cereals, or from malt with un- malted cereals, and contains the congeneric substances formed with ethyl alcohol which are volatile at the ordinary temperatures of distillation and which give the character to the distillate." It is held that a mixture of two or more different whiskies, as thus defined, whether their differences arise from the character of the substances from which they were distilled or from their respective methods of distillation or even from their several ages and the environment in which they were kept subsequently to distilla- tion, would be appropriately termed a " blend of whiskies," or " blended whisky," or " blended whiskies," provided that each article entering into the combination, standing alone, would be appropriately designated as "whisky." Further, the mixture of a spirit properly designated as " whisky " with another spirit, such as ethyl alcohol, which, standing alone, , would not be properly designated as " whisky," must be labelled as a 11 compound " or as " compounded." This , question has led to an animated dispute owing to the fact that dealers attach much importance to its settlement, involving, as it does, large pecuniary interests. With regard to a mixture of ethyl alcohol, either pure or mixed with water, with harmless colouring and flavouring agents intended to im- part the appearance and flavour of whisky, it is held that the product should be labelled "imitation whisky." In conclusion, ’ four specimen labels are given to designate (1) " straight whisky;" (2) a mixture of two or more "straight" whiskies ; ; (3) a mixture of "straight" " whisky and ethyl alcohol ; and (4) ethyl alcohol flavoured and coloured, so as to tafte smell, and look like whisky. (1) " Semper Idem Whisky" ’ a pure straight whisky mellowed by age; (2) "E Pluribus Unum Whisky " : a blend of pure, straight whiskies, with all the merits of each ; (3) "Modern Improved Whisky": a compound of pure grain distillates, mellow and free from harmful impurities; and (4) 11 Something Better than Whisky": an imitation under the pure food law, free from fusel oil and , other impurities. It is assumed that both the whisky and the alcohol in the third specimen are distilled from grain. It remains to be seen whether judicial decisions will accept these interpretations, as stated so clearly by the Attorney- General. ____ THE TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES IN LONDON. ’ FROM the reply of the Home Secretary to a question put by Mr. Pickersgill, M.P., as reported in the column of Parliamentary Intelligence in our issue of June 15tb, it appears that the Government is endeavouring to induce the London County Council to reconsider the decision taken by that body to terminate the arrangement by which habitual drunkards committed from the London police courts have been received into the certified reformatories of the National Institution for Inebriates. If Mr. Gladstone’s efforts are unsuccessful and if the Council persists in the retrograde policy which it has adopted, the Inebriates Act of 1898 will, as regards its most important provisions, be reduced to a dead-letter. The Farmfield Reformatory, which is the sole institution of this kind maintained by the Council, can admit only an insignificant number of selected cases, so that in dealing with the bulk of the police-court recidivists, whose prolonged detention under reformatory treatment was the chief social advantage of the Act, magistrates will be forced to return to the costly and futile system of repeated short imprisonments. The immediate effect of this policy in London, where the convictions for drunkenness amount to considerably over a fourth of the total number in England and Wales, will be sufficiently serious, but its indirect influence will be perhaps still more deplorable. Apart from the check to the rational treatment of the inebriate which will necessarily follow from its abandonment by a body of the authority and repute of the London County Council, the operation of the Act in other parts of the country will be paralysed by the conversion of the metropolis into a place of sanctuary where the " drunk and disorderly " need fear no treatment more efficacious, and therefore from their point of view more objectionable, than the time- honoured ’ ‘ five shillings or seven days." It is difficult to suppose that the members of the Council who are responsible for this regrettable decision can have fully appreciated the effect of their action or that when it has once been made clear to them they can still maintain so unreasonable an attitude. Meanwhile it may not be out of place to remark that the episode teaches a very useful lesson for the future. This absurd difficulty would never have arisen if the Act of 1898 had been framed with a little more regard for the limitations of human nature. The legislature, by making over to the local
Transcript of "COMPOUND" OR "BLENDED" WHISKY
1791
in 1850. A general feeling was expressed that while all themembers regretted the demise of the Dermatological Society- of London they were looking forward hopefully to the
dermatological section of the Royal Society of Medicine tocarry on the good work initiated by the society.
EPIDEMIC CEREBRO-SPINAL FEVER.DURIKG the last few days cases of epidemic cerebro-spinal
fever have been reported at places in the counties ofNorthumberland and Durham. In Scotland during the weekended June 22nd there were five deaths from this cause
registered in Glasgow, five in Edinburgh, one in Paisley,and one in Leith. In Glasgow the weekly report issuedon June 21st showed that there were at that time 87 cases
under treatment. In Belfast during the week ended
June 22nd there were 20 deaths registered as being due tothis cause.
"COMPOUND" OR "BLENDED" WHISKY.THE Secretary of the United States Department of Agri-
culture has recently issued a bulletin dealing with thelabelling of whisky under the new pure food law. The firstaim of this law is to insure, so far as possible, that thepurchaser of a food or drug shall obtain nothing differingfrom that which he wishes to buy. In a secondary way thelaw also seeks to prevent, or at least to discourage, the use ofdeleterious substances as food or drugs. Before expressingan official opinion on the labelling of different brands ofwhisky considerable attention is given to the etymologicaldistinctions between the terms "compound" " and "blend."Webster defines a "compound" as "that which is com-pounded or formed by the union or mixture of elements,ingredients, or parts; a combination of simples." Accord-
ing to the same authority a "blend" is "a thoroughmixture of one thing with another, as colors, liquors, &c.,a shading or merging of one colour, tint, &c., into another,so that it cannot be known where one ends or the other
begins." " Thus ’’ blend " and " compound " are substantially
synonymous terms when applied to mixtures of liquids inordinary speech. But the pure food law establishes a
distinction between them, based upon the character of theingredients entering into the mixture, the word blend beingdefined in Section 8 as " a mixture of like substances, notexcluding harmless coloring or flavoring ingredients usedfor the purpose of coloring and flavoring only." The
opinion of the Attorney-General of the United States on themeaning of these words is that the terms "blend" and
"blended" can be properly used only when a single sub-stantive, either in the singular or plural number, need followto designate the combination appropriately and adequately.Thus we can speak of a "blend of teas " or a "blendedtea," but not of a "blend of tea and coffee." In applyingthese terms to whisky consideration is first given to a
definition of the term " whisky which has been approvedby the United States Department of Agriculture. " Whiskyis a distillate, at the required alcoholic strength, from thefermented mash of malted cereals, or from malt with un-malted cereals, and contains the congeneric substancesformed with ethyl alcohol which are volatile at theordinary temperatures of distillation and which give thecharacter to the distillate." It is held that a mixture oftwo or more different whiskies, as thus defined, whethertheir differences arise from the character of the substancesfrom which they were distilled or from their respectivemethods of distillation or even from their several ages and theenvironment in which they were kept subsequently to distilla- tion, would be appropriately termed a " blend of whiskies,"or
" blended whisky," or " blended whiskies," provided that each article entering into the combination, standing alone,would be appropriately designated as "whisky." Further, the mixture of a spirit properly designated as " whisky " with
another spirit, such as ethyl alcohol, which, standing alone,, would not be properly designated as " whisky," must be
labelled as a 11 compound " or as " compounded." This, question has led to an animated dispute owing to the fact
that dealers attach much importance to its settlement,involving, as it does, large pecuniary interests. With regardto a mixture of ethyl alcohol, either pure or mixed with water,with harmless colouring and flavouring agents intended to im-part the appearance and flavour of whisky, it is held that theproduct should be labelled "imitation whisky." In conclusion,
’ four specimen labels are given to designate (1) " straightwhisky;" (2) a mixture of two or more "straight" whiskies ; ;(3) a mixture of "straight" " whisky and ethyl alcohol ;and (4) ethyl alcohol flavoured and coloured, so as to taftesmell, and look like whisky. (1) " Semper Idem Whisky"
’ a pure straight whisky mellowed by age; (2) "E PluribusUnum Whisky " : a blend of pure, straight whiskies, with allthe merits of each ; (3) "Modern Improved Whisky": acompound of pure grain distillates, mellow and free fromharmful impurities; and (4) 11 Something Better than Whisky":an imitation under the pure food law, free from fusel oil and
,
other impurities. It is assumed that both the whisky andthe alcohol in the third specimen are distilled from grain.It remains to be seen whether judicial decisions will acceptthese interpretations, as stated so clearly by the Attorney-General.
____
THE TREATMENT OF INEBRIATES IN LONDON.’
FROM the reply of the Home Secretary to a question putby Mr. Pickersgill, M.P., as reported in the column of
Parliamentary Intelligence in our issue of June 15tb, it
appears that the Government is endeavouring to inducethe London County Council to reconsider the decision takenby that body to terminate the arrangement by whichhabitual drunkards committed from the London policecourts have been received into the certified reformatories ofthe National Institution for Inebriates. If Mr. Gladstone’sefforts are unsuccessful and if the Council persists in theretrograde policy which it has adopted, the Inebriates Actof 1898 will, as regards its most important provisions, bereduced to a dead-letter. The Farmfield Reformatory, whichis the sole institution of this kind maintained by the Council,can admit only an insignificant number of selected cases, sothat in dealing with the bulk of the police-court recidivists,whose prolonged detention under reformatory treatmentwas the chief social advantage of the Act, magistrateswill be forced to return to the costly and futile system ofrepeated short imprisonments. The immediate effect of this
policy in London, where the convictions for drunkennessamount to considerably over a fourth of the total number inEngland and Wales, will be sufficiently serious, but itsindirect influence will be perhaps still more deplorable.Apart from the check to the rational treatment of theinebriate which will necessarily follow from its abandonmentby a body of the authority and repute of the London CountyCouncil, the operation of the Act in other parts of the
country will be paralysed by the conversion of the metropolisinto a place of sanctuary where the " drunk and disorderly
"
need fear no treatment more efficacious, and therefore fromtheir point of view more objectionable, than the time-honoured ’ ‘ five shillings or seven days." It is difficult to
suppose that the members of the Council who are responsiblefor this regrettable decision can have fully appreciated theeffect of their action or that when it has once been made clearto them they can still maintain so unreasonable an attitude.Meanwhile it may not be out of place to remark that theepisode teaches a very useful lesson for the future. Thisabsurd difficulty would never have arisen if the Act of 1898 hadbeen framed with a little more regard for the limitations ofhuman nature. The legislature, by making over to the local
