Foods: Their Composition and Analysis A Manual for the Use of Analytical Chemists

ABSINTHE Absinthe is a yellowish green liqueur which contains as a peculiar and distinctive ingredient a poisonous oil having a deleterious action on the nervous system This wormwood oil is the produce of the Artemisia absinthium Other flavouring oils are always present such as peppermint angelica cloves cinnamon and aniseed The green colour is produced by the juice of spinach nettles or parsley or in other words it is due to chlorophyll The absorption spectrum of properly made absinthe is the same as that of chlorophyll Most samples of absinthe contain sugar The average composition of the liqueur as consumed in London where its use is on the increase is as follows Per cent Absolute alcohol 50 00 Oil of wormwood 33 Other essential oils 2 5 2 Sugar 1 50 Chlorophyll traces Water 45 65 On diluting absinthe the essential oils are thrown out of solution and the liquid becomes turbid The reaction is always slightly acid due to a trace of acetic acid Adulterations of A bsintlie The composition of absinthe appears to be fixed by no definite standard of strength therefore practically the analyst has to look only for such substances is injurious colouring matters and metallic impurities Sulphate of indigo with turmeric is not infrequently employed as a colouring agent and similarly picric acid has been detected and salts of copper The latter is readily discovered by diluting the liqueur and adding ferrocyanide of potassium which if copper be present will give a brown colouration picric acid and indigo are detected in the way elsewhere described. Analysis of Absinthe The alcohol may be determined by distillation after diluting the liqueur to cause the oils to separate and getting rid of some portion by filtration To make an estimation of the essential oils a measured quantity of the liqueur is diluted to twice its volume by the addition of water carbon disulphide is added and the mixture shaken up in the tube described at p 69 The carbon disulphide dissolves all the essential oils and on evaporation leaves them in a state pure enough to admit of their being weighed Absinthe when taken habitually and for a lengthened time produces a peculiar train of nervous symptoms which the French physicians affect to distinguish from the similar symptoms produced in inebriates by alcohol In epilepsy caused by indulgence in absinthe M Voisin states as the results of clinical observation that the number of fits is far gi eater than in alcoholic epilepsy Foods: Their Composition and Analysis A Manual for the Use of Analytical Chemists and Others. With an Introductory Essay on the History of Adulteration By Alexander Wynter Blyth

Absinthe of World Wide Reputation - Pernod Review/Advertisement

AN ABSINTHE OF WORLD WIDE REPUTATION ABSINTHE is a specialty originated in the town of Couvet, Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland, where its manufacture by primitive methods dates back, according to authentic historical documents, to a very remote period. As far back as 1769 a newspaper published at Neuchatel contained advertisements of "Absinthe of fine quality." The firm of Edouard Pernod, established at Couvet nearly 100 years ago, and since transformed into a company, with a branch office at Pontarlier, France, is the oldest, the most important, and the only one of that name manufacturing absinthe in Switzerland. It was the founder of this house who was the pioneer, as far back as 1830, in extending the knowledge of this aperitive in foreign countries, where its use has since become universal. His first shipments to Belgium and Germany were made in 1834, to the United States in 1835, to Italy in 1838 and to Holland and Brazil in 1839. Possessing an immense establishment, thoroughly equipped in every respect, the firm of Edouard Pernod is in a position to immediately fill the largest orders. Absinthe "Edouard Pernod," carefully refined and always manufactured in a faultless manner of materials of absolutely highest quality, enjoys in every country of the world an undisputed reputation. The best proof of this is the rapid and continuous growth in its sales. Buyers and importers throughout the world should write to this house direct for price lists and additional particulars, addressing their inquiries to Edouard Pernod, Couvet, Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland. Dun's Review Vol. 11 No.1 March 1908 R.G. Dun & Company

DRUG SELLING BY BARKEEPERS -- Western Druggist

DRUG SELLING BY BARKEEPERS A barkeeper at the Richelieu one of the leading Chicago hotels said in a recent interview in reply to the question whether there was much drug selling by barkeepers: "Honestly I think not This talk about drug selling at the bar is an exaggeration If a man has been on a spree or overtaxed his physical strength he will often ask for a little absinthe to quiet his nerves but the use of this drug is not heavy Most bars have to keep both green and white absinthe but there is little demand now for the green article The white is milder Quinine is often asked for it is at the soda water fountains for that matter But then most people want to ward off a cold and some quinine in one's bitters is better than a pocket handkerchief" Quinine under a recent decision of the Illinois Supreme Court is not a domestic remedy and cannot be sold except by a registered pharmacist An Illiopolis barkeeper has been recently fined for selling it In view of the late crusade of saloon keepers against alleged dram selling druggists the compliment should be returned by prosecuting quinine selling liquor dealers Absinthe is also a drug and an attempt might be made to suppress its sale also Western Druggist--1899

Fraud

French Inn Sign

French Inn Sign Close to Fontainebleau on the road leading from that town to the Pont de Valvins and not far from Los Basses Loges there is a public house newly established I think which bears the quaint sign Au grain de sel indissoluble Underneath may be read lie deluge a perdu nos p6res I Absinthe Pernod ie perd nos fils A 15 centimes le verre It is difficult to imagine how this sign came to be arrived at The Absinthe Pernod fils is considered to be the best F. Chance Sydenham Hill Notes and Queries

International Exhibition, 1876--United States Centennial Commission

United States Centennial Commission. ---- International Exhibition 1876 Reports and Awards ---- Edited by Francis A. Walker, Chief of the Bureau of Awards 1878

• 1575. L.A. Bolle Son, Verrières, Switzerland. ABSINTHE. Report.--Commended for fine flavor and good style.
• 1576. Ed. Pernod, Couvet, Switzerland. ABSINTHE Report.--Commended for fine quality and careful distillation.
• 1577. Henny & Moullet, Fleurier, Switzerland. ABSINTHE Report.--Commended for good quality and flavor.
• 1578. Von Almen & Kopp, Fleurier, Switzerland. ABSINTHE Report.--Commended for good quality combined with moderate price.
• 1579. C. F. Berger, Couvet, Switzerland ABSINTHE Report.--Commended for good quality and careful composition.
• 1581. Chr. Stauffenegger, Travers, Switzerland. ABSINTHE Report.--Commended for the very elegant composition of his absinthe.

Lt. Col. P. Hawker, "Instructions to Young Sportsmen"

Instructions to Young Sportsmen in all that Relates to Guns and Shooting

by Lt. Col. P. Hawker
1826

From the chapter: "General Advice for the Health and Comfort of a Young Sportsman". Subsection: "What to Choose".

He will know better than to call for brandy or gin, but will order rum, knowing that that is a spirit* which would soon be spoiled by any tricks or adulteration...

*If a sportsman likes to take a flask of spirit, as a guard against cold, a stomach-ache, &c. he will, I think, find nothing equal to the real Highland Scotch, or Irish, whisky. Or, if he cannot get this, a little extrait d'absinthe Suisse; from Johnson's, or Sargenson's, Colnnade, Pall-mall.

The Encyclopaedia Britannica: 1890

ABSINTHE, a liqueur or aromatised spirit prepared by pounding the leaves and flowering tops of various species of wormwood chiefly Artemisia Absinthium, along with angelica root (Archangelica officinalis), sweet flag root (?cornis Calamus), the leaves of dittany of Crete (Origanum Didamnus), star anise fruit (lllicium anisatum), and other aromatice and macerating these in alcohol. After soaking for about eight days the compound is distilled ,yielding an emerald coloured liquor, to which a proportion of an essential oil, usually that of anise is added. The liqueur thus prepared constitutes the genuine Extrait d' Absinthe of the French but much of an inferior quality is made with other herbs and essential oils, while the adulterations practised in the manufacture of absinthe are very numerous and deleterious. In the adulterated liqueur the green colour is usually produced by turmeric and indigo but the presence of even copper sulfate (blue vitriol) as colouring ingredient has been frequently detected. In commerce two varieties of absinthe are recognised--common and Swiss absinthe--the latter of which is prepared with highly concentrated spirit; and when really of Swiss manufacture is of most trustworthy quality as regards the herbs used in its preparation. The chief seat of the manufacture is in the canton of Neufchutel in Switzerland, although absinthe distilleries are scattered generally throughout Switzerland and France. The liqueur is chiefly consumed in France, but there is abo a considerable export trade to the United States of America. In addition to the quantity distilled for home consumption in France the amount imported from Switzerland in recent years has not been less than 2,000,000 gallons yearly. The introduction of this beverage into general use in France is curious. During the Algerian war 1844 47 the soldiers were advised to mix absinthe with their wine as a febrifuge. On their return they brought with them the habit of drinking it which is now so widely disseminated in French society, and with such disastrous consequences that the custom is justly esteemed a grave national evil. A French physician, M. Legrand, who has studied the physiological effects of absinthe drinking, distinguishes two trains of results according as the victim indulges in violent excesses of drinking or only in continuous steady tippling. In the case of excessive drinkers there is first the feeling of exaltation peculiar to a state of intoxication. The increasing dose necessary to produce this state quickly deranges the digestive organs and destroys the appetite An unappeasable thirst takes possession of the victim, with giddiness, tingling in the ears, and hallucinations of sight, and hearing followed by a constant mental oppression, and anxiety loss of brain power, and, eventually, idiocy The symptoms in the case of the tippler commence with muscular quiverings; and decrease of physical strength, the hair begins to drop off, the face assumes a melancholy aspect, and he becomes emaciated wrinkled, and sallow. Lesion of the brain follows, horrible dreams and delusions haunt the victim, and gradually paralysis overtakes him and lands him in his grave. It has been denied by a French authority, M. Moreeu, that these symptoms are due to wormwood or any of the essential oils contained in absinthe, and he maintains that the strong spirit and such adulterations as salts of copper are sufficient to account for the effects of the liqueur. There is, however, no doubt that proportionately the consumption of absinthe is much more deleterious to the human frarat than the drinking of brandy or other strong spirits. The use of absinthe has been prohibited in both the army and navy of France. The Encyclopaedia Britannica A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences and General Literature 1890

The Encyclopedia Americana: Absinthe

Absinthe, or wormwood, has long been known as a medicinal plant of value in cases of fever but it was only at the end of the 18th century that it was first used at Couvet in Switzerland for the preparation of a spirituous jiqueur As usually sold it is a spirit containing as much as 72 per cent of alcohol though some varieties contain only 57 per cent On account of the deadly ravages it caused among those addicted to it absinthe is prohibited in Switzerland and France. The Encyclopedia Americana: A Library of Universal Knowledge

This Missourian Greatest Producer of Wormwood Oil in America--April 5, 1902

This Missourian Greatest Producer of Wormwood Oil in America by Oscar Long April 5, 1902--The Sunny South pg. 5 With the disposal of the annual product for this year, Leander S Drew, of Lodi, Mo. closes the work of a half century as a producer of the oil of wormwood. From the plants grown on 100 acres of valley land the oil is distilled and this queer husbandman bears the unique distinction of being the greatest producer and of having the largest wormwood farm and distillery in the United States. The farm lies between the shores of Crystal lake and the main traveled road extending from Lodi to Prairie du Sac. The distillery and residence are hidden away behind a blufflike hill and are found at the end of a large winding road, guarded by the massive farm gate. So secluded it is and so unexpectedly comes the wayfarer upon the quaint surroundings taht one might surmise he was approaching a Kentucky domicile where moonshine was created beyond the pale of the wandering revenue collector. Back from the residence the distillery is located half hidden by a clump of bushes and trees. The wormwood plants are grown upon the farm much like oats or other cereals of like nature and they stand from two to three feet high and have the appearance of being covered with mildews. As soon as the unattractive blooms of a purple color make their appearance the work of cutting and distilling begins. By means of an ordinary moving machine with a dropper attachment the plants are cut down and dropped in buckets for the summer sun to wilt. As soon as they have lost some of their freshness and become placid, they are loaded upon great wagons in the meadow and hauled to the distillery,where a big iron fork comes down into the load like the fangs of an enormous serpent. By means of a rope and pulleys the fork with its load is hoisted upward to a little car on a track and is rolled then to a large vat. When there a jerk is given to the trip rope and the bunch of wormwood is dumped into the large vat provided for it. The operation is repeated again and again until the vat will hold no more, every corner being filled with the shrubby, aromatic plants. In the engine room there is a boiler as large as one found on a locomotive, straining every nerve and rivet with compressed steam. By twisting a valve the steam is given vent into the mass of wormwood so tahtever stem and leaf of the bitter aromatic plants receive the baptism of scalding vapor. They wilt like snow before a noonday sun and soon yield the oil contained in them. From the vat the steam passes into the condensing pipes. But it is ladened with the oil from the plants. The pipes are submerged into cold ater in an immense cement basin, and there the oil collects drop by drop to find its way through an opening and to be collected in a vessel provided for that purpose. Although the oil and water come forth together, yet the separation of the two is comparatively a small matter and no more difficult than gathering the globules of cream from a quantity of milk. The oil being of less specific gravity as compared with water, collects at the top of the receptacle provided for the liquid as it comes from the condensing pipes. The can into which the drops of oil fall is provided with a spout which reaches almost to the top of the vessel which is filled with water, making it appear like a gardener's water pot. The water being heavier than the oil collects at the bottom and forces the oil out through the spout. There comes a time when the can will hold no more of the separated oil, and this is known by the bitter liquid escaping through the opening, where the water is permitted to flow away. The oil is then poured into shipping flasks and sealed up to be carted off to the commercial world. As soon as all of the oil has been collected from the plants in the vat, the ugly iron fork is sent down in its depths to bring forth the worthless stearming stems and leaves. This work was ordinarily done with a stable fork and by hand, but the slow process and unpleasant odor made is so disagreeable that more improved methods had to be resorted to. The odor of the steaming rubbish is sickening to the person working with it. Day after day the cutting, the hauling and steaming goes on until the waving fields have been reduced to a valuable product to be shipped far and wide for the benefit of man's demands. Years ago when the soil was new and the seasons not so devoid of moisture, the wormwood seed were sown broadcast and they were permitted to grow like wheat, oats or grass. With climatic changes it has been found advisable to plant the seed in rows and cultivate for at least a year, thus attaining more and better oil plants. In time the plants cover the space between the rows, so that the space is filled with a thick growth of shrubbery and a good crop is secured for several years afterwards. But the land has to be plowed up about every six years and the ground allowed to rest for a season. Then it is reseeded again. There is a bit of interesting local history connected with Mr. Drew and his wormwood farm His father, the late Leancer Drew, was born and educated in Vermont for the practice of medicine, and soon after completing his studies went to the state of Wisconsin as a surgeon in the regular army. That was long ago, when Baderdom was still a territory, and it was necessary to maintain forts in several parts of the state in order to keep the Indians in subjection. For a whle he was stationed at Fort Winnebago and other military points, but as soon as the land was secured from the red man and opened to settlement he entered a rich tract on the banks of Crystal lake, in that part of the country. The rude hut still stands and has been occupied ever since it was erected in 1844. Mr. Drew built a new residence a few years ago, which is (missing) his home. (missing) after entering the land the pioneer (missing) a portion of it in wormwood, following the vocation of his fater, Dan-(missing) Drew, who was a producer of the (missing) for thirty-five years in Vermont. The growing of the plant with the medicinal properties, the youn Wisconsin physician learned, was more profitable then dispensing medicine to the indivual inhabitants of a sparsely settled (missing), and so fostered the unique in-(missing) which has ever since prospered. (missing) years ago the son took up the farm and has greatly improved the production of manufacturing the oil. (missing) in the history of the farm the (missing) is hauled on wagons in Milwaukee and sold or shipped to New York or Europ. Alonza Waterberry, of Lodi, once halled 600 pounds to the Cream City and Mr. Drew accompanied the shipment to New York, where the contents of the big jug was converted into gold. From the season's output of 500 pounds the product has grown to 2,000 pounds, sometimes above or below this mark. In the United Startes there are about fifty farms producing wormwood, two of which are operated by Mr. Drew. Although a half hundred farmers are engaged in raising and producing oil of wormwood, yet they cannot supply the home demand. Large shipments are made annually from Europe to this country, and large tracts of land in Europe are devoted to the wormwood culture. The discovery of the absinthe by the two old Swiss women has stimulated the oil trade, for the "green-eyed beauty" is produced from the product of this plant. In the past fifty years the price of wormwood oil has advanced from $1 to $6 per pound. On account of the widespread use of absinthe as a soothing intocixant it is not anticipated that the price will ever touch the dollar mark again. The oil is used in preparing liniments and other remedies of like character. It has a penetrating property possessed by no other oil, and when applied goes direct to the seat of suffering.