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1906]
284
Spirituous and Alcoholic Liquors.— Altogether 31 samples were
examined, of which 8, or 25.8 per cent., were returned as being adulterated, as
compared with 247 per cent. in the preceding year.

What are known as the "What is Whiskey" prosecutions were heard at
the North London Police Court in the early part of the year, when the
defendants appeared to answer the summonses issued by the Council. Two
test cases were taken, one against Mr. Thomas Samuel Wells and the other
against Mr. James Davidge, the former being charged with selling Irish
Whiskey and the latter Scotch Whiskey which was not of the nature, substance
and quality demanded. In the result, Mr. Fordham, whose judgment was
published in the report of the Medical Officer of Health for 1905, convicted
the defendents and ordered each to pay 20s. and £100 costs.
This judgment was afterwards appealed against, and the appeal was heard
at the Clerkenwell Sessions in May and June, 1906, but unfortunately ended in
an equal division of the Bench, and consequently there was no judgment.
It is not proposed to discuss this matter, as the cases are still pending,
but it may be remarked that the whiskey sold by Wells was nearly all patent
spirit, and as the Magistrate points out "the men who actually handled the
"spirit sold by the defendants before it was sold to them say that Wells' and
"Davidge's samples were both 90 per cent. patent still spirit," and, he also
adds, "that at least 90 per cent. of Wells' spirit was only one month old when
"they put it into his cellar in May and so less than six months old when sold
"by him in September; while what Davidge sold in June, 1905, as being
Fine Old Scotch Whiskey' was, as to about 90 per cent., made in June,
"1904, just one year before."
Before concluding the judgment the Magistrate also declared, "it is time
''the fraud upon the public in the matter of the sale of whiskey was stopped, and,