POISONOUS FLASKS.

Evening Star, Volume 12869, Issue 12869, 19 July 1906, Page 8

POISONOUS FLASKS.

,Somc bnuidy which, had been left for a time-in a silver flask was recently sent to the office of the 'Lancet', for examination. The flask had the silver hall mark upon it. The brandy had darkened considerably in color, and contained a daxkbrown sediment, which on analysis proved to bo copper combined with tannin. There was also a very distinct amount of '•opper solution in the brandy, apparently in the form of acetate. Those results '(observes our contemporary) suggested a few experiments, which ultimately proved that genuine old brandy dissolves in quite a short time a very distinct amount of copper, the copper so dissolved ultimately combining with the tannin to form a tannate of copI>cr. When a. few shillings were placed m some- brandy and the spirit was examined after a day or so, a distinct amount of copper was found in it. Spurious brandy, oddly enough, did not appear to dissolve any appreciable Jirount of copper from a silver coin, so it may be concluded that the action of old brandy is partly due to the acetic acid which it invariably contains, plain spirit being comparatively free from tho acid. This view is supported by the fact that genuine Jamaica rum, which contains mow acetic acid than does brandy, hag a-strong action on a silver coin, extracting very decided amounts of copper from it. Standard silver contains 7 5 per cent., of copper, and evidently this alloy is readily acted upon by old brandy ; it vould seem deeirable. therefore, to abandon silver unless it is absolutely unalloyed as a n aterial for the brandy-flask. Rightly 01 wrongly, it is the custom of many people to carry a brandy flask with them as a- kind of sheet-anchor in the event of faintness overtaking them, or as an anodyne for colicky pains or other manifestations of digestive trouble. Tn the latter case the presence of copper in the brandy might easily aggravate the trouble, as salts of copper frequently act after the manner of a powerful irritant poison, causing pain m the stomach and spasms. The simple precaution easily suggests itself that brandy should not be kept in a metal container, but in glass.