slb@drutx.UUCP (Sue Brezden) (01/27/86)
>> This happened to some people in our village in Europe during the Second World >> War. As I remember it, methanol caused blindness, among other >> nasty things. I also remember that these people had borrowed a >> zinc plated wash tub from my mother to hold the fermenting mash, and >> when they brought it back, all the zinc had been eaten away on the >> inside of the tub, so that the rusting iron underneath was laid bare, >> ruining the tub. > > It sounds to me like the blindness was caused by heavy metal poisoning, >and not methanol. In particular, lead poisoning has been a problem with >"moonshine" for many years, and bootleg whiskey made during Prohibition. >The lead was introduced through solder used in the distillation apparatus. Another way you can get heavy metals in moonshine is by using a car radiator for the coils of the still. This used to be done fairly often. It's an easy way to make a still--but very dangerous. -- Sue Brezden ihnp4!drutx!slb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To search for perfection is all very well, But to look for heaven is to live here in hell. --Sting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~