58 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XIII. No. 312 



Great Britain. 



In England, according to the definition of their regulations and 

 law, " the spirits must be plain spirits or unsweetened foreign spirits, 

 of not less strength than 50 per cent over proof, or rum of not less 

 strength than 20 per cent over proof, and must be mixed with at 

 least one-ninth of their bulk of wood naphtha. This mixture is 

 termed ' methylated spirits.' " Accordingly, 10 per cent is the 

 amount of added impurity. 



The Board of Inland Revenue only permits the use of a decidedly 

 impure and crude wood naphtha for this purpose, of a not " less 

 strength than 60 over proof," and which must not be used until a 

 sample has been submitted and approved by the chemical depart- 

 ment of Somerset House. Until the necessary approval has been 

 obtained, the naphtha is kept under official lock and key, and only 

 allowed to be used for mixing under certain regulations ; and the 

 whole quantity, 100 gallons, " must be drawn off and used before 

 any other naphtha is conveyed into the vat." " Naphtha disapproved 

 by the board must be immediately removed from the naphtha ware- 

 house." 



The mixing must be done in the presence of officers of inland 

 revenue, and " 500 gallons of methylated spirits is the least 

 quantity which may be prepared at one time in a mixing-room, 

 whether the spirits used be British or foreign spirits." " The mix- 

 ing must take place in a vat of sufficient capacity to admit of the 

 spirits and naphtha behig thoroughly mixed." 



Methylated spirits is " supplied to such persons only as under- 

 take to use it in the arts and manufactures, subject to the board's 

 approval," and on entering into bond in the sum of from ^200 to 

 _,ri,ooo penalty, depending on the annual consumption which they 

 propose to employ. Scientific societies and hospitals who obtain 

 the methylated spirits for scientific purposes are not required to give 

 a bond. 



All persons authorized to use methylated spirits are warned that 

 they are not at liberty to purify the spirits in any manner whatever. 

 " No person can legally use methylated spirits, or any derivative 

 thereof, in the manufacture, composition, or preparation of any arti- 

 cle whatever capable of being used either wholly or partially as a 

 beverage, or internally as a medicine." It may be used, however, 

 " in the preparation of sulphuric ether, chloroform, hydrate of chloral, 

 soap, compound camphor, aconite, and belladonna liniments," with- 

 out coming under the foregoing prohibition. 



The premises of all users of methylated spirits are liable to in- 

 spection of the inland revenue officers at all times. 



The following table gives the total quantity of methylated spirits 

 produced in Great Britain since 1881, taken from the annual reports 

 of the commissioners of her Majesty's inland revenue : — 



Methylated Spirits. 



1881 1,762,659 gallons. 



1882 1,991,765 " 



1883 2,100,765 



1884 2,236,962 " 



1885 2,334,835 



1886 2,477,798 " 



1887 2,673,375 



1888 ■ 2,767,492 



This table shows a steadily increasing consumption. 



Canada. 



In Canada, where a similar law to England was for many years 

 in force, the government permitted methylated alcohol to be manu- 

 factured in bond for use in the arts, and to be withdrawn upon the 

 payment of an excise-tax of fifteen cents per gallon. Twelve gal- 

 lons of wood naphtha of not less than 60 per cent over proof were 

 added to 100 gallons of grain alcohol. Subsequently the Inland 

 Revenue Department ascertained that such spirits were being de- 

 methylated and rendered potable, thus causing a serious loss of 

 revenue. The law was therefore repealed, and the Department of 

 Inland Revenue undertook to supply the trade with a substitute, 

 composed of 25 per cent of wood naphtha and 75 per cent grain 

 alcohol, which is supplied only to varnish-makers and other persons 

 engaged in the mechanical arts. The persons using this grade of 

 methylated spirits give bonds, in the sum of $2,000, that such spirits 



shall be used solely for the purposes mentioned, and in the premises 

 described in their application. An inferior grade, consisting of 

 equal parts of wood naphtha and grain alcohol, is supplied the trade 

 without any restrictions as to its use (see letter from Assistant 

 Commissioner W. J. Gerald, of Oct. 25, 1888, published in the 

 "Annual Report of the Commissioners of Internal Revenue, 1888," 

 p. cxx.). 



Germany. 

 The German spirit law, and the regulations issued to carry it into 

 effect, permit of a sliding scale of adulteration, depending on the 

 designated use of the " denaturised spirits." 



For most purposes, a mixture of two parts of wood naphtha and 

 one part pyridine bases to one hundred parts of alcohol is permitted. 

 The wood naphtha is submitted to certain prescribed tests in re- 

 gard to color, specific gravity, boiling-point, miscibility with water, 

 contents of acetone, and capacity for absorbing bromine. The pyri- 

 dine bases are likewise examined for color, behavior towards cad- 

 mium chloride, boiling-point, miscibility with water, contents of 

 water, and volatility. 



The regulations that have been issued from time to time have 

 variously amended those preceding them. Those of June 21, 

 1888, are the latest, and several of the provisions contained therein 

 did not come into force till the first of this year. 



Makers of the general denaturising agent are permitted to add 

 " 40 grams of oil of lavender or 60 grams of oil of rosemary to 

 every litre." Such addition has likewise to reach a prescribed 

 standard. 



" It is illegal to remove, or partially remove, the denaturation 

 agent, or to add substances whereby the taste or smell of the de- 

 naturised spirits is altered." The selling or placing on sale of 

 such purified spirits is likewise declared illegal. 



Manufacturers may also use " five parts of wood naphtha instead 

 of the general denaturation agent or pyridine bases " under certain 

 regulations, and may sell the same " to persons engaged in indus- 

 trial pursuits." 



Varnish and polish makers may use " 0.5 per cent of oil of tur- 

 pentine " for this purpose, and may likewise sell varnishes and 

 polishes so prepared to the trade. In " the manufacture of glazes 

 for brewers' use the denaturation may be made with 20 per cent of 

 a solution of one part of shellac in two parts of g5-per-cent alcohol. 

 The alcohol used for such solution is to be free of tax." 



In " the preparation of the alkaloids, medicinal extracts, chloro- 

 form, iodoform, chloral hydrate, sulphuric ether, acetic ether for 

 technical purposes, collodion, tannin, salicylic acid and its salts, 

 white lead and acetates, the alcohol may be denaturised by 0.5 per 

 cent of oil of turpentine, or by 0,025 psr cent of animal oil, or 10 

 per cent sulphuric ether." 



" For making colored varnishes, 0.5 per cent of oil of turpentine, 

 or 0.025 P^r cent of animal oil," is permitted ; and for alcohol used 

 in the "analysis of sugar-beets in sugar-factories, 0.025 pcr cent of 

 animal oil " is the quantity prescribed for denaturation. 



" For the preparation of acetic ether intended for technical pur- 

 poses, freedom from tax can only be granted for the alcohol to be 

 used under condition that besides the prescribed denaturation of 

 the alcohol," as already mentioned, the ultimate destination of the 

 acetic ether must be indicated, and will be controlled by suitable 

 regulations. 



The " animal oil, oil of turpentine, sulphuric ether, and shellac 

 solutions intended to be used as denaturation agents, must satisfy 

 the prescribed tests," and be submitted to an officially appointed 

 chemist, and be approved by him before they are permitted to be 

 used for the purpose. The expense of such test is borne by the 

 manufacturer. 



" For the preparation of vinegar, alcohol may be denaturised by 

 200 per cent of acetic acid of 3 per cent, or by 30 per cent of acetic 

 acid (vinegar) of 6 per cent, or by 70 per cent water and 100 per 

 cent beer. " It is also allowable to use, "besides the prescribed 

 quantity of acetic acid (vinegar), 100 per cent of pure genuine wine 

 instead of the beer and water." 



Alcohol of " less than 80 per cent " is not permitted to be treated, 

 and " not less than 50 litres " must be treated at a time. The 

 mixing must take place under the supervision of two revenue of- 

 ficers. 



