AaMJa°rch',f905.rm'}  Methyl  Alcohol  103 
binol,  and  formic  acid.  The  succession  of  colors  and  the  deport- 
ment  of  the  flaky  coloring  matter  finally  produced  are  quite 
different,  however,  with  these  bodies  as  compared  with  those  given 
by  methyl  alcohol 
The  test  with  phloroglucin  is  made  as  follows :  The  oxidation  of 
the  methyl  alcohol  is  carried  on  as  described  above.  Acetaldehyde 
is  removed  by  adding  to  the  liquid  remaining  in  the  test  tube  6  c.c. 
of  a  3  per  cent,  solution  of  hydrogen  peroxide,  or  an  equivalent 
amount  of  hydrogen  peroxide  if  in  a  different  strength  of  solution. 
Mix  the  contents  of  the  tube  and  filter  into  a  porcelain  dish.  After 
three  minutes  add  2  c.c.  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  thio- 
sulphate.  Next  add  3  c.c.  of  a  phloroglucin  solution  obtained  by 
dissolving  1  gramme  of  phloroglucin  and  20  grammes  of  sodium 
hydroxide  in  water  and  making  the  volume  to  100  c.c.  A  bright 
red  coloration  indicates  the  presence  of  methyl  alcohol  in  the  origi- 
nal sample.  The  intensity  of  the  red  color  is  in  some  degree  pro- 
portionate to  the  quantity  of  methyl  alcohol  originally  present. 
When  carefully  conducted,  1  part  of  methyl  alcohol  in  20  parts  of 
ethyl  alcohol  can  be  detected  by  this  reaction. 
The  purest  forms  of  wood  spirits  are  known  by  trade  names  as 
Columbian  or  Manhattan  spirits.  When  perfectly  pure,  methyl 
alcohol  is  not  unpleasant  either  to  the  taste  or  the  smell,  and  it  is 
much  less  toxic  than  the  crude  product  which  is  so  Often  used  in 
denaturing  spirits.  It  is  more  than  probable  that  many  of  the  toxic 
effects  which  have  been  reported  as  due  to  the  use  of  wood  alcohol 
have  been  produced  by  the  impure  or  unrectified  article.  In  fact, 
the  pure  article  is  so  greatly  increased  in  cost  that  it  is  not  likely 
that  its  use  will  become  very  common.  At  the  same  time  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that  wood  alcohol  is  not  subject  to  any  internal 
revenue  tax  nor  any  restrictions,  in  so  so  far  as  I  know,  in  manufacture 
or  sale.  For  this  reason  its  general  distribution  for  almost  any  pur- 
pose would  be  facilitated.  In  view  of  the  terrible  indictment  of 
methyl  alcohol  which  has  been  summed  up  by  Buller  and  Wood  in 
the  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association,  it  seems  only  just 
to  say  that  it  is  a  substance  which  should  be  absolutely  eliminated 
from  any  body  or  bodies  which  are  taken  internally  or  even  applied 
externally  as  a  remedy  or  otherwise. 
Wood  spirit  undoubtedly  has  a  large  and  legitimate  use  in  the 
arts  as  a  fuel  and  a  solvent,  and  its  manufacture  and  sale  for  such 
