ON CERTAIN TESTS FOR METHYLIC ALCOHOL. ] 7] 
some very cold weather, became turbid and gradually deposited a lot of floccu- 
leut crystals. Not being at that time at all able to understand the formation of 
these crystals, I forwarded to our President, Mr. Deane, two or three drops of 
the thick crystalline deposit, for him to examine them microscopically ; after the 
examination, both chemical and microscopical, of this small quantity, he felt quite 
assured that the source of the crystals was honey. Since that time, there has 
been a greater deposit of these crystals (a specimen of which was placed on the 
Conference table). I have chemically examined them and have come to the 
same conclusion as Mr. Deane; these crystals are, without any doubt, grape 
sugar, and in all probability derived from honey, which must first have been 
dissolved and then decolorized, for the finest samples of honey I have yet seen, 
would certainly impart some degree of colour and turbidity to any solvent, and 
this specimen of “ whiskee ” was quite colourless and perfectly clear. Although 
acid, it is by no means so much so as the other specimens, and it seems also to 
be flavoured with a slight portion of chloroform. The spirit used in its fabrica¬ 
tion must have undergone some kind of u cleaning” process, as this is the most 
pleasant beverage of the whole series. On distilling a portion of it, and apply¬ 
ing the iodo-hydrargyride of potassium, and the oxidation method of testing, 
the presence of methylic alcohol was thoroughly proved. The compounding of 
these intoxicating drinks, for it is a sham to call them by any other name (for 
they certainly are neither “ medicinal ” nor u cordial,” no more than duty-paid 
brandy, gin, or whisky), is a direct fraud upon the revenue, was never contem¬ 
plated or intended to be one of the uses of methylated spirit, and should be 
strongly discountenanced by all honourable men. The Board of Inland Revenue 
liberally allows the methylated spirit duty-free for the arts and manufactures ; 
and all interested in their welfare—and who is not ?—should protest by their 
words and deeds against the abuse of such a great boon. 
To sum up this paper in a few w r ords, I think we may now look upon the 
question of the “ detection of methylated alcohol in the presence of ethylic 
alcohol and organic bodies ” as thoroughly and satisfactorily answered. We can, 
in the first place, readily detect the acetone, which is always associated with the 
methylic alcohol, and by the oxidation method of testing, interfering bodies 
being absent, the methylic alcohol itself. 
W ilton, near Salisbury , August , 18G5. 
Mr. Sciiacht expressed surprise that volatile oils should not complicate the results of 
the mercurial test, when tinctures containing them w r ere distilled preparatory to the use 
of the author’s mercurial test. 
Mr. Tuck replied that he had so frequently made the experiment, that there could he 
no doubt about the fact. The distillation should he slowly conducted, and he would 
avoid boiling, if convenient, and not push the operation beyond the recovery of one-half 
of the fluid operated on. He thought that the compound nature of oil of cloves might 
have some influence on the question. 
Dr. Attfield considered this view quite legitimate. The boiling-point of the acid 
portion of oil of cloves was higher than that of its hydrocarbon. He had used both 
the plans now described, and had placed the excellent method of Mr. Miller in the hands 
of his students with very satisfactory results. Still, it could not be denied that the ope¬ 
rations were more tedious than in the case of the mercurial test, and, in future, he would 
apply this first; if a precipitate occurred, then no methylic alcohol could be present, and 
further research would be needless. 
Mr. Brady suggested that Mr. Tuck should ascertain the exact point in the fractional 
distillation at which the essential oils that might interfere with his test came over. 
Mr. Brough thought that sufficient stress had not been laid upon the fact that the 
iodo-hydrargyride of potassium test was only applicable to methylic alcohol contami¬ 
nated with acetone. 
Mr. Tuck said that all the w T ood spirit of commerce contained acetone. 
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