90 
IMPORTANT EXCISE PROSECUTION AT WOLVERHAMPTON. 
Mr. William Harkness, analytical chemist to the Board of Inland Kevenue, proved 
the receipt of the two bottles of the essence produced from the previous witness. He 
made an analysis of the contents of one of the bottles, and found it to consist of me¬ 
thylated spirit, strength 70'1 under proof, highly sweetened with either treacle or very 
coarse brown sugar. It also contained a small portion of chloroform. He produced the 
methylated spirit which he extracted from it. It was not a mixture recognized as a 
medicine in the ‘ British Pharmacopoeia,’ date of which was 1864. 
Cross-examined by Mr. Motteram : Had been in the employ of the Commissioners of 
Inland Kevenue, as analytical chemist, for six years. Could tell from his analysis most 
of the ingredients contained in the essence. Could not tell whether Scotch treacle was 
present, for he did not know what Scotch treacle was, although he was a Scotchman. 
He considered the question a quibble. He found golden syrup present, and water and 
chloroform. He supposed chloroform was a medicine. Did not find essence of ginger, 
but would not swear that there was none present. Did not try for it. If there was 
any it was in very small quantities. Did not try for essence of capsicum, or for gentian, 
nor did he find any. The essence had a slightly pungent taste, and he would not 
swear that capsicum did not contribute to that pungency. Chloroform, infusion of 
gentian, essence of ginger, essence of capsicum, were all recognized in the ‘ British 
Pharmacopoeia,’ provided they were made from pure alcohol. He did not find in the 
mixture any sweet spirits of nitre. Had there been 100th part of one per cent, he 
should have discovered it. Methylated spirit was used to a certain extent, he knew, 
in the making of tinctures, but, in his opinion, no respectable chemist would use it. 
Mr. Motteram here handed a list of medicines sent out by the South Staffordshire 
Hospital in 1864 to be contracted for, specifying thirty-six tinctures made up with 
methylated spirit, and asked the witness what he thought of that. Witness replied, 
all he could say about it was that it was disgraceful.—Mr. Motteram: And all I can 
say is that the governors of the South Staffordshire Hospital are very much obliged 
to the chemist of six years’ standing, for the compliment he has paid them. Don't 
you know that there is a standing order for their use both in the army and navy ?—- 
Witness : I do not.— Mr. Spooner: Do you know whether they are used in the London 
Hospitals ?—Witness: I do not.—Mr. Motteram : Why, Sir, do you not know that these 
methylated spirits are very extensively used by the great body of surgeons and dis¬ 
pensers in the United Kingdom ?—Witness: I did not know it; and my opinion is, 
that if it is so used, that they care more for getting cheap spirits than for the health 
of their patients.—Mr. Motteram (sharply) : What do you know about it? you’re not 
a physician. If methylated spirit is cheaper, what has that to do with it, if the poor 
want it, and it is as good ?—Witness: Yes, if they get medicine as good. 
Mr. Spooner: I can’t help thinking that medicines made from the pure spirit are the 
best to use; and I must express my astonishment that an institution like the South 
Staffordshire Hospital should use any other. 
Mr. Motteram: I am told. Sir, that methylated spirits are not only cheaper but equally 
efficacious. 
Mr. Richard Bannister, another of the analytical chemists at Somerset House, spoke to 
the analysis of the essence, which he found to consist of methylated spirit, syrup of sugar, 
and a small quantity of chloroform. 
In cross-examination, witness said that he found no traces of spirit of nitre. 
This was the case for the prosecution. 
Mr. Motteram then addressed the Court for the defence. He said his client was a very 
respectable chemist, carrying on business in Wolverhampton, and he had had the good 
fortune, for the benefit of suffering humanity, to invent a medicine called “ Reade’s In¬ 
dian Essence,” which he sold at only 2>d. per ounce, and which the witness M’Rae knew 
was a good thing for the disorder he told Mr. Reade he was suffering from when he went 
to entrap him. Before, however, he went into the particulars of the case, he must say 
that he could not compliment those who resorted to such means as the witness M‘Rae 
resorted to, for the purpose of entrapping a man whom they wished to convict. Now 
the essence in question was one which Mr. Reade had produced at considerable expense 
to himself, and which had attained a very extensive sale, and for which he charged, as 
his circular said, only Zd. per ounce. And yet, although people could get gin and brandy 
at a much lower price than they could the essence, the Inland Revenue in their wisdom 
thought that the people of Wolverhampton were such savages as to purchase the essence 
