Original liar; he is usually only
following his leaders and repeating their observations without going
into the evidence around him; and the missionary public in England
and Scotland are largely to blame for their perpetual thirst for
thrilling details of the amount of Baptisms and Experiences among
the people they pay other people to risk their lives to convert, or
for thrilling details of the difficulties these said emissaries have
to contend with. As for the general public who swallow the
statements, I think they are prone, from the evidence of the evils
they see round them directly arising from drink, to accept as true -
without bothering themselves with calm investigation - statements of
a like effect regarding other people. I have no hesitation in
saying that in the whole of West Africa, in one week, there is not
one-quarter the amount of drunkenness you can see any Saturday night
you choose in a couple of hours in the Vauxhall Road; and you will
not find in a whole year's investigation on the Coast, one-
seventieth part of the evil, degradation, and premature decay you
can see any afternoon you choose to take a walk in the more densely-
populated parts of any of our own towns. I own the whole affair is
no business of mine; for I have no financial interest in the liquor
traffic whatsoever. But I hate the preying upon emotional sympathy
by misrepresentation, and I grieve to see thousands of pounds wasted
that are bitterly needed by our own cold, starving poor. I do not
regard the money as wasted because it goes to the African, but
because such an immense percentage of it does no good and much harm
to him.
It is customary to refer to the spirit sent out to West Africa as
"poisonous" and as raw alcohol. It is neither. I give an analysis
of a bottle of Van Hoytima's trade-gin, which I obtained to satisfy
my own curiosity on the point.
"ANALYSIS OF SAMPLE OF TRADE-GIN.
"With reference to the bottle of the above I have the honour to
report as follows: -
It contains - Per cent.
Absolute alcohol . . . . . 39.35
Acidity expressed as acetic acid . 0.0068
Ethers expressed as acetic acid . 0.021
Aldehydes. . . . Present in small quantity.
Furfural . . . . Ditto ditto
Higher alcohols . . Ditto ditto
"The only alcohol that can be estimated quantitatively is Ethyl
Alcohol.
"There is no methyl, and the higher alcohols, as shown by Savalie's
method, only exist in traces. The spirit is flavoured by more than
one essential oil, and apparently oil of juniper is one of these
oils.
"The liquid contains no sugar, and leaves but a small extract. In
my opinion the liquid essentially consists of a pure distilled
spirit flavoured with essential oils.
