AmMJa°rch,T9of.rm"}        Internal  Revenue  Tax  on  Alcohol  115 
American  Medical  Association,  attention  is  called  to  the  increasing 
use  of  wood  alcohol,  particularly  of  the  highly  refined  varieties,  in 
the  manufacture  of  Jamaica  ginger,  flavoring  extracts,  bay  rum, 
essences,  witch  hazel,  etc.,  in  all  of  which  its  presence  is  highly  in- 
jurious, and  in  those  preparations  intended  for  internal  use,  positively 
dangerous  to  life.  A  number  of  instances  in  which  death  resulted 
from  the  improper  use  of  wood  alcohol  are  given,  and  many  cases 
of  blindness  and  other  diseases  are  cited  as  having  been  due  to  this 
dangerous  substitution. 
For  these  various  reasons  the  annual  consumption  of  ethyl  alco- 
hol in  this  country  is  some  95,000,000  proof  gallons  less  than  in 
Germany.  As  the  population  of  the  latter  country  is  only  about 
two-thirds  of  that  of  the  United  States,  this  showing  is  even  worse 
than  these  figures  would  indicate.  With  a  per  capita  consumption 
in  this  country  equal  to  that  of  Germany,  we  should  be  using 
150,000,000  gallons  per  year,  instead  of  5,000,000  gallons  as  at 
present. 
Some  of  the  purposes  for  which  this  immense  quantity  of  alcohol 
would  be  used  are  shown  in  the  statement  given  above  of  the  con- 
sumption of  untaxed  alcohol  in  Germany.  But  in  addition  to  these 
various  uses  there  are  thousands  of  important  industries  in  this 
country  which  would  greatly  prefer  to  use  it  instead  of  the  inferior 
substitutes,  and  which  would  consume  many  millions  of  gallons  an- 
nually. Cheap  alcohol  would  also  make  possible  the  establishment 
of  many  new  industries  lor  the  production  of  articles  not  now  made 
in  this  country,  and  thus  give  employment  to  American  workmen 
in  making  articles  now  bought  from  foreign  countries.  It  would 
also  enable  our  manufacturers  to  develop  an  export  trade  in  many 
lines  from  which  they  are  now  entirely  shut  out  through  their  in- 
ability  to  sell  their  goods  in  competition  with  those  of  countries 
where  alcohol  is  obtained  free  of  tax.  The  total  consumption  for 
these  purposes  would  be  very  large. 
As  an  illustration  I  may  refer  to  the  manufacture  of  artificial  silk, 
a  material  which  is  found  to  be  an  entirely  satisfactory  substitute 
for  the  product  of  the  silk  worm  for  many  purposes,  and  which  is 
extensively  manufactured  and  used  in  European  countries.  This 
silk  is  manufactured  from  nitro-ceilulose  by  a  process  which  involves 
the  use  of  2  pounds  of  alcohol  converted  into  ether  for  each  pound 
of  silk  produced.    Under  our  present  laws  the  high  price  of  alcohol 
