MEDICINAL WINES.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 26 December 1924, Page 15

MEDICINAL WINES.

GROWING POPULARITY.

(sruciii. to "in mm*-")

AUCKLAND, December 25,

Medicinal wines and tonics are becoming very popular in Auckland. Betail chemists admit that thero is rather more than a fair demand for them, and that the general tendency is toward a substantial increase. Tho expansion of trade in such alluring preparations which not only arc declared to bo thirst-quenchers but revivers of health, strength, and even beauty, is most marked on Sundays. Jr'or this thero aro several reasons. On that day, with some people their thirst has been aggravated bv Saturday indulgence and is moro distressing tnan usual. Pharmaceutical tonics can bo purchased openlv and freely when ordinary stimn-. lants" cannot be obtained, without ditficulty and the danger of humiliating prosecution, and it is explained that nearly all medicinal wines and tonics contain a proportion more or less ot alcohol. Tho percentage of tho spirit of mischief varies, of course, in medicinal preparations, but m some ot them tho proportion is considerable. To quote a chemist, there is a medicinal wine that has a good kick in it. It is more popular with women than with men For that reason alone it were well not to nam© it, but somo people mav lie tempted to ask if a tonic should contain stuff that creates a growing demand for it. But this is dehcate < gl What about the risk of prosecution? The reply of one chemist was to tho effect that thero was no risk of prosecution at all if such wines and tonics were sold as medicinal preparations, of which, bv tho way, .Now Zealand imports annually aro both impressive and significant. It appears that much ir not everything depends on" tho definition and ohoico of a name. Convalescent cider, for example, obviously would be less provocative of police attention than the challenging designation such as champagne cider, which fio-ured in a recent prosecution. It would bo'.easv to give to pretty strong medicinal preparations and coloured beverao-es names thatT would an the charms of inpocence. In the experience of some pharmacies, however, names do not matter. A 1 * wine with a good percentage of alcohol lurking in its constitution soon gams a profitable demand.