BEBIDAS ALCOOLICAS CAFREAES DE MOCAMBIQUE. 301 



This mixture is put in a cool place and after three or four days 

 it will be ready for use. 



The distillation of the spirits is performed by heating the 

 fermented liquid in a still made in a rudimentary manner, and 

 collecting the distillate. 



The wines most used by the natives of this Province are : 

 in the South the Uputo, made from flour of maize or mapira ; the 

 Caju, made from fruits of Anacardiuni occidentale ; and the 

 Bmibe, made from fruits of Garcinia livingstoiiei. In the north, 

 the Sura, made with the sap of the palm tree, and the Otcca, 

 made with the Hour of maize or manioc, are used. 



As regards the spirits, the most used are those made with 

 Caju, Manioc and Pineapples. 



Chemical analysis has shown that the alcoholic strength of 

 the wines is always low, between 2 and 10 alcoholic degrees. 

 For the spirits the strength is much higher — 25 for the pineapple 

 spirit, which was the highest found. Most mifortunately, from 

 the majority of these drinks there are by-products of alcoholic 

 fermentation accompanying the ethyl alcohol, which products 

 are most harmful to the human organism. These products are 

 furfurol, aldehydes, ethers and the high-grade alcohols. Some of 

 the wines also have these products in fair amount ; all the spirits, 

 above mentioned, have them in large quantities. For this reason 

 it is not surprising to find that alcoholic intoxication is nearly 

 always accompanied in natives by symptoms of great nervous 

 depression. 



At the same time, we know that the wines made by fermenta- 

 tion of flours and fruits have a good influence on the body of 

 the native, when taken in moderate quantities, and are a sort 

 of food, because of the alimentary principles contained in 

 them. There is also the current opinion that the vitamines 

 included in the germinated corn and fruits have an antiscorbutic 

 action for the native people. 



For these reasons I think that the three following conclu- 

 sions can be drawn from my work regarding the measures to be 

 taken to combat alcoholism amongst the natives: — 



1. The native may be allowed to mnke his own wines 



obtained by fermentation. The selling of them must be 

 forbidden and intoxication must be punished. 



2. We must forbid the use of the still by natives for the 



making of spirits. 



0. We must strictly forbid the making of alcoholic native 

 drinks b.y white people for sale to natives. 



