MEDICINAL WINES.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 December 1924, Page 7

MEDICINAL WINES.

POPULAR AVITH WOMEN

Medicinal wines and tonics are becoming very popular in Auckland. Retail chemists admit that there is rather more than a fair demand for them, and that the general tendency is toward substantial increase. The expansion of trade in such alluring preparations, which not only are declared to he thirst quenchers, but revivers of health, strength and even beauty, is most marked on Sundays. On that day, with some people, thirst has been aggravated by Saturday indulgence, and is more distressing than usual; pharmaceutical tonics can be purchased openly and freely when the ordinary stimulants cannot be obtained without difficulty and the danger of humiliating prosecution ; and, it is explained, nearly all medicinal wines and tonics contain a proportion, more or less, of alcohol (states the New Zealand Herald). The percentage of the spirit of mischief varies, of course, in medicinal preparations, hut in some of them the proportion is considerable. To quote a chemist: “Here 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 name it, but some people may he tempted to ask if a tonic should contain stuff that creates a growing demand for it? But this is delicate ground. “What about the risk of prosecution?’’ The reply of one chemist was to the effect that there was no risk of prosecution at all, if 6uch wines and tonics were sold as medicinal preparations, of which, by the way, New Zealand imports annually. are both impressive and significant. *

During a discussion among a group of local men interested in horses recently, one man, instancing the cunning of some animals, quoted the case of a horse belonging to his family says the Waipa Post). : This animal was a past marter of the art of opening gates, and he would fiddle with a gate for hours until he succeeded in opening it. On one noteworthy occasion the horse was seen to be trying to open a gate from the paddock to the garden, but a strong wind was blowing and each time the horse got the gate open the wind blew it shut again before the animal could step round to walk through. This had happened several times, while the members of the family looked on from a concealed position near by. Finally, after a more than usually deliberate effort by the horse and the immediate slamming of the gate by the wind, the animal swung round quickly and delivered a succession of full force kicks at the gate that effectively demolished it •But, strange to relate, the horse did not pass through; he walked back to his paddock pasture, and gave up the attempt to reach the garden.