SPIRITS. 



brandy is fimply cordial and ftomachic ; rum, heating and 

 fudorific ; gin and whiflcy, diiirttic ; and arrack, ftyptic, 

 heating and narcotic, and ill adapted to European coniti- 

 tutions. 



Vinous fpirits, therefore, in fmall quantity, and properly 

 diluted, may be applied to ufeful purpofes in the relieving 

 of fome diforders ; whilft in larger ones, or imprudently 

 continued, they aft as a poifon of a particular kind. The 

 moderate ufe of them is moft ferviceable to thole who are 

 expofed to heat and moifture, to corrupted air, or to other 

 caufes of colliquative and putrid difeafes ; and they are the 

 moft pernicious in oppofite circumftances, and to thofe who 

 are afflifted with hylterical and hypochondriacal complaints : 

 for whatever temporary relief thefe fpirituous cordials may 

 afford in the lowncflea to which hyfterical and hypochon- 

 driacal perfons are fubjeft, there are none, as Dr. Pem- 

 berton obferves, who feel fo foon the ill effefts arifing from 

 the habitual ufe of them. Lewis's Mat. Med. 



The power of brandy, or any thing of this kind, in kill- 

 ing worms, is evident from this, that the children of the 

 people in the northern iflands of Scotland, who are accuf- 

 tomcd from their infancy to drink that coarfe fort of brandy 

 which they call aqua vitx, never are troubled with worms. 

 It is a dangerous praftice to ufe brandy in this general man- 

 ner, but on fome occafions it may be very ferviceable. 

 Philof. Tranf. N° 233. 



SpiriT-S, Laivs relating to Foreign and BriliJIi. By a 

 variety of ftatutes, which it would be too tedious here to 

 enumerate, duties both permanent and temporary, of the 

 cuiloms and the excife, have been impofed on brand)', rum, 

 arquebufade, geneva, arrack, and fpirits, the amount of 

 which "is very confiderable in proportion to the original 

 price. By 43 Geo. III. c. 69. (fched. A), and 43 Geo. III. 

 c. 81. feveral duties are impofed upon fpirits imported ; 

 but by 49 Geo. III. c. 98. feveral duties of cuftoms are 

 impofed : the fr.id duties are payable by the importer, be- 

 fore landing. If any perfon (hall land any French brandy, 

 before the duty be paid or fecured, or without licence from 

 the proper officer, and conceal the fame when landed, he 

 and his aider fhall not only forfeit the fame, but alfo double 

 value ; and if any officer of the cuftoms or excife fhall con- 

 nive at it, he fliall forfeit 500/., and be incapable of holding 

 any office in the revenue, (i Ann. Itat. 2. c. 14.) The 

 officers of excife may go on board any fliip and fearch, as 

 officers of the cuftoms may do, for any excifeable liquors, 

 and feize fuch as (hall be forfeited, and fuch as fhall be un- 

 fhipped before entry and payment of the duties, together 

 with the cafks and other package. (11 Geo. I. c. 30.) 

 Any officer of the excife may fearch for concealed foreign 

 fpirits, and feize, &c. ; and the penalty of obftruflion is a 

 forfeiture of too/. By a general claufe in 8 Geo. I. c. i8. 

 all brandy, arrack, rum, fpirits, and ftrong waters, and all 

 foreign excifeable liquors, forfeited, together with the caflcj 

 and package, may be feized by any officer of tlie cuftoms or 

 excife, or perfons deputed from the lord treafurcr, or under- 

 treafurer, or by fpecial commiffion under the great or privy 

 feal, and no other perfon ; and the penalty of obftruftion is 

 40/. If any foreign brandy, arrack, rum, or flrong waters, 

 or fpirits of any kind, fhall be imported in any veft'el of 

 100 tons burden, or under, (except for the ufe of feamen, 

 not exceeding two gallons each,) fuch vcfftl, with its tackle, 

 and alfo the fpirits, ftiall be forfeited (5 Geo. HI. c. 43.) : 

 except rum or other fpirits of the growth and manufadture 

 cf the Britidi fugar plantations, which may be imported in 

 any veffel of not Icfs burden than 70 tons. (6 Geo. III. 

 c. 46.) If any veffel of 50 tons, or under, partly or fully 

 laden with brandy, be at anchor or within two leagues of the 



fhore, and not proceeding on her voyage, if wind and 

 weather permit, fuch veffel may be compelled by the com- 

 mander of jny man of war, or armed floop appointed to 

 guard the coait, or the commander of any veilel in the fer- 

 vice of the cuftoms, to come into port ; and the cafe is the 

 fame with fhips hovering near thecoafts. (6 Geo. I. c. 21.) 

 If any veffel come from foreign parts, and have on board any 

 foreign brandy or fpirits, in cafks under fix gallons, (except 

 for the ufe of feamen, not exceeding two gallons each,' fhaU 

 be found at anchor, &c. as in the former cafe, all fuch 

 fpirits, with the caflcs and package, or value, fhall be for- 

 feited, and the fame may be feized, or value fued for by the 

 officers ; and if the veffel do not exceed 50 tons \\\ burden, 

 the faid veftel, with her tackle and furniture, fhall be for- 

 feited : and if any perfon, having charge of the veffel, fhall 

 fuffer any brandy to be put into lighters or boats, in order 

 to be landed, he fhall, befides other penalties, fuffer fix 

 mouths' imprifonmcnt. No brandy fliall be imported in 

 any veflel not containing 60 gallons at the leaft, on pain of 

 forfeiting the lame, or value. (4 W. c. 5.) And no 

 geneva or rum (hall be imported in any veilel or caflc, not 

 containing 60 gallons at leaft, (except for the ufe of fea- 

 men, not exceeding two gallons each,) on pain of for- 

 feiture. (5 Geo. III. c. 43.) If any officer fhall find 

 any increafe of rum or fpirits, (except fuch as have been im- 

 ported and lodged in a warehoufe, according to law,) above 

 the quantity found on the laft furvey, or any decreafe, (be- 

 yond the quantity legally delivered or allowed for leakage,) 

 the proprietor or importer fhall forfeit joo/. ; and opening 

 the warehoufe, except in the prefence of the warehoufe- 

 keeper or excife officer, incurs a forfeiture of 500/. If any 

 rum or fpirits remain in the warehoufe above twelve calendar 

 months (6 Geo. III. c. 47.), without paying the duty, 

 the commilTioners of excife may fell them by auftion, and 

 pay the duty and charges, transferring the overplus to the 

 proprietor or importer. A permit fhall be obtained for 

 removal of the quantity fold ; nor (hall any liquor, exceed- 

 ing one gallon, be carried away without fuch permit, on 

 pain of forfeiting the fame, with the caflis and veffels. If 

 the liquor be not removed, and the permit not returned, the 

 perfon that took it out fhall forfeit treble value. No perfon 

 fhall receive a permit, without direftion in writing of the 

 perfon (or his fervant) from whofe ftock the goods arc to 

 be removed, on pain of 50/. ; and in default of payment, 

 throe months' imprifonmcnt. No foreign fpirits, although 

 under one gallon, (hall be received into the cuftody of any 

 retailer, without a permit, fignifying that the duties were 

 paid, or that they had been condemned, on pain of forfeit- 

 ing the fame. (8 Geo. I. c. 18.) No feller or dealer (hall 

 be allowed to take out more than one permit in one day ; 

 provided that feveral permits may be taken out, and calks 

 containing foreign fpirituous liquors fent to the fame perfons 

 the fame day, fo that each calk may be fent under dift'erent 

 permits, and by different conveyances ; and provided dealers 

 (hall not be prevented from fending with one permit by one 

 and the fame conveyance any number of calks, containing 

 60 gallons each, or upward";, of tiie fame kind. Foreign 

 fpirits, not being cadis of 60 gallons, or upwards, fhall not 

 be removed, unlefs at the following times ; that is, fronj 

 September 29tli to March 25tii, yearly, between the hour* 

 ot (even in the morning and five in the evening ; and from 

 March 25th to September 29th, between the hours of five 

 and feven, (except the fame is carrying by a known com- 

 mon llagc-coach, waggon, or other ftage carriage, ufually 

 travelling out of thefc hour?,) on pain of forfeiture, with or 

 without a permit. (23 Geo. III. c. 70.) No foreign 

 fpirits more than 60 gallons Ihall be brought to London by 



