June 21, 1873.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
1017 
§fw ifiianmtmttual Journal 
-4.- 
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 , 1873 . 
Communications for this Journal, and hooks for review,etc., 
should he addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
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transmission of the Journal should be sent to^ Elias Breii- 
ejdge, Secretary, 17, Bloomsbury Square, W.C. 
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Street, London, TV. Envelopes indorsed “Pharm. Journ. 
THE PEEEUMED SPIRIT CASE. 
“ The receiver is worse than the thief,” was the 
expression used by Baron Bramwell in the Court 
of Exchequer, on Saturday last, when summing up 
in the case of the Crown v. Carmouche, and com¬ 
menting upon the conduct of those wholesale per¬ 
fumers who had purchased spirit of wine from 
the defendant considerably under the market price. 
The evidence of one or two of these witnesses was 
sufficiently damaging to themselves todeave the im¬ 
pression on the mind of judge, jury, and audience 
that as far as their business was concerned they were 
ready to purchase plain spirit of wine without per¬ 
mit or certificate, and have it designated on the re¬ 
ceiving note 11 perfumed spirit,” provided they could 
get it below the market price. The details of this 
interesting case may, perhaps, be more forcibly seen 
if the evidence given on Saturday be thrown into 
a narrative, and to do so it will be necessary to 
deviate a little from the course then pursued in 
calling witnesses for the prosecution. 
Mr. Watts, manufacturing chemist, was induced 
to purchase a cask of spirit of wine from Mr. Car¬ 
mouche, 36, Mark Lane. The price was to be 17s. 6<A 
a gallon, and for the amount a three months’ bill was 
to be given. At the time ol purchase the market 
price of alcohol of a corresponding strength was 
18s. 10 cl, so Mr. Watts at once came to the con¬ 
clusion that something was wrong, and he imme¬ 
diately put himself in communication with the 
Inland Revenue officers. They tasted the spirit 
and found it free from essential oils, in fact, ordi¬ 
nary spirits of wine, and with this description of 
spirit a certificate should have been sent. Mr. 
Watts wrote for a certificate, but Mr. Carmouche 
declined to give one, on the ground that as it was 
perfumed spirit a certificate was not required. For 
the purpose of discovering where the stock of the 
so-called perfumed spirit was kept, Mr. Watts, in 
compliance with a request from the Supervisor ol In¬ 
land Revenue, ordered another cask, which was de¬ 
livered on June 10th 1872. When this cask arrived, 
officers were on the premises ready to seize it if the 
spirit was not perfumed, and it being plain spirit 
only, the cask, horse, cart, and man were placed 
under detention. The man then said where the 
ask of spirit had been sent from, and eventually 
c x 
the officers found themselves at the Albion W orks, 
Bow Common. Here they could find proof ol the 
place having been used as a distillery. There were 
large vessels for holding wort, and on the side ot 
one of them they found what was afterwards proved 
to be dried yeast. A still could not be found, but 
the appearance of the premises indicated that a still 
had been fixed and afterwards carelessly removed. 
They went on with their investigations, and learned 
that a person named Reynolds was a partner with 
Carmouche. This man entered into particulars 
respecting his firm, and threw much light on what 
had been done at the Albion Works. Almost by 
accident these persons came together. Carmouche, 
after a little time, introduced to Reynolds’ notice 
the manufacture of eau de Cologne, and the large 
profits to be made in this business, and if Reynolds 
is to be believed, he was informed that spirit ol 
wine was not exciseable if a small quantity of essen¬ 
tial oil was added to it. On the faith of these state¬ 
ments the works were taken in the name ol a man 
called Copeland. Mr. Carmouche purchased a 
second-hand still in Brussels, which was alterwards 
set up at the Albion Works, and in November, 18/1, 
the manufacture of illicit spirit commenced. From 
the large number of puncheons of molasses used the 
quantity of alcohol actually manufactured must have 
been very great, and as only a comparatively small 
quantity of alcohol was seized, much ol what was 
made must have gone into consumption. Reynolds 
at once said, when asked, that essential oils were 
added to only a small quantity of spirit made, the 
other was sent out in the state in which it ran Irom 
the still. 
So matters went on at the Albion Works till about 
May, 1872. The owner of these works had been told 
that essential oils were made there by his tenant, 
and as the place was not insured he was anxious that 
it should be, and made a proposal to the insurance 
office. A surveyor was sent but was refused admis¬ 
sion, on the ground that such very valuable processes 
were being carried on that no stranger could lie 
admitted, for fear the secret of the manufacture 
should be made known. This visit frightened the 
firm. They removed the still at once, and thus it 
was that the place was in confusion when visited by 
the Inland Revenue officials. Carmouche managed to 
get all the profits into his own pocket, if Reynolds 
is to be believed. In fact, all about the place seem 
to have been made his tools. Being a foreignei, it 
has been no inconvenience to him to leav e the 
country, and whilst Reynolds has found his v ay to 
the Prison at Holloway, Carmouche is supposed 
to be in Belgium, enjoying the proceeds ot lus 
frauds on the firm and the Revenue. A penalty of 
£13,687 5s. was imposed upon him on Saturday, but 
if it had been as many millions it would have been 
the same both to the Crown and the defendant, for 
we may be sure he will never pay a penny ot the 
1 fine now he lias tied the country. 
