72        ON  eschwegb's  patent  wood  naphtha,  etc. 
Legislature  allows  spirit  to  be  used  free  of  -duty  for  manufactur- 
ing purposes,  we  cannot  compete  with  our  neighbors  in  this  ar- 
ticle ;  the  methylated  spirit  has  such  an  abominable  odor  that  it 
cannot  be  used  for  making  scented  soaps  for  the  toilet."  It 
would,  indeed,  be  a  great  boon  to  pharmaceutists,  as  well  as 
perfumers,  and  I  heartily  wish  that  some  plan  could  be  devised, 
whereby  a  spirit  of  wine,  without  disagreeable  odor  or  injurious 
admixture,  might  be  allowed  duty  free  for  their  respective  uses. 
I  feel  convinced,  too,  that  the  Board  of  Inland  Revenue  would 
be  in  favor  of  such  a  measure  for  a  duty  free  spirit,  if  we  could 
first  prove  to  them  that  the  revenue  would  not  be  injured  there- 
by, and  in  this  lies  the  difficulty. 
Pharmaceutists  require  a  duty-free  spirit,  without  disagreeable- 
odor  or  any  admixture  which  would  prove  injurious,  when  the 
mixed  spirit  was  taken  internally,  in  quantities  of  at  least  half 
an  ounce. 
Perfumers  and  others  require  a  fluty  free  and  odorless  spirit, 
but  it  is  not  absolutely  essential  for  it  to  be  free  from  injurious 
admixture  when  taken  internally. 
The  Board  of  Inland  Revenue,  on  the  other  hand,  will  only 
sanction  a  spirit  of  wine  being  duty  free,  conditionally  upon 
something  being  added  to  it,  so  as  t  >  render  it  totally  unfit  for 
the  purposes  of  a  beverage.  Another  condition  is,  that  such 
addition  to  the  spirit  shall  be  a  permanent  mixture,  and  not  re- 
movable by  any  known  process,  method,  or  operation. 
Now,  I  think  it  will  be  plain  to  all,  that  these  conditions,  as 
regards  pharmacy  at  least,  are  extremal)'  difficult  of  realization, 
if  not  impossible,  so  that  I  fear  we  must  stil  I  continue  to  use  a 
duty-paid  spirit.  Although  it  may  n  t,  perhaps,  ultimately  be 
an  extremely  difficult  task  to  not  only  find  a  method  of  render- 
ing fermented  spirit  thoroughly  unpotable,  but  incapable  of  being 
made  so,  and  at  the  same  time  adapted  for  fine  varnishes  and 
perfumery,  it  nevertheless  is  not  at  all  probable  at  present. 
It  is  in  meeting  these  hitherto  unsupplied  requirements  of  per- 
fumery, varnish-making,  etc.,  etc.,  (none  of  which  were  benefited 
in  the  least  by  methylated  spirit,)  that  the  patent  wood  naphtha 
has  become  of  so  much  importance,  all  the  essential  oils,  odorous 
substances,  resins,  gums,  etc.,  being  as  soluble  in  it,  and  in  some 
