244 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



The committee, on its part, believed that an instrument could 

 be devised that would measure the output of the stills. In its 

 report of July 21, 1866, the committee remarks: 



" The committee confidently believe that a spirit meter can be constructed 

 which will register the quantity of spirits passing from a still, and afford a 

 reliable check on the distiller and inspector. 



" They recommend that an instrument based upon the principle of Worthing- 

 ton's water-meter be constructed and submitted to trial. 



" Of various inventions submitted for measuring and registering the quantity 

 of spirits passing from a still, the only one which has commended itself for sim- 

 plicity and certainty of action, is that of Cox & Murphy, of Montreal, which 

 the committee likewise recommend to be submitted to actual trial in a distillery, 

 for several months, under the supervision of an officer of the revenue." '^ 



And in the report for 1867: 



" The desire of the Internal Revenue Department to possess a reliable spirit- 

 meter having become generally known through its officers and agents, a large 

 number of inventions were brought forward, from time to time, between June, 

 1866, and January, 1868, and referred to this committee. The examination of 

 the various plans and models, and the correspondence incident thereto, involved 

 the expenditure of much time and labor, the constant aim being to develop any 

 promising plans by pointing out defects, and making suggestions of improvement 

 when practicable." ^* 



The committee examined in all some 18 dififerent meters and 

 submitted written reports on most of them. This work occupied 

 a year and a half, the last report being submitted on January 2, 

 1868. The meter of Cox and Murphy did not, in the end, prove 

 satisfactory, and the committee finally turned to that of I. P. 

 Tice, of New York, which was recommended to the Treasury 

 Department for adoption on April 3, 1867. On August i, 1867, 

 Joseph Henry and J. E. Hilgard read before the Secretary of 

 the Treasury and the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner 

 of Internal Revenue a statement relative to modes of defeating 

 the operation of spirits meters." On October 9, 1867, they sub- 

 mitted rules for the use of the Tice meter, and by the end of 

 that year 19 such meters had been attached to distilleries in 



'■'Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1866, p. 56. 

 ■'"'Rep. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1867, p. 12. 

 '" Loc. cit., p. 24. 



