but they wouldn't have done anything like that in the late 1800s surely?
It was apparently common to adulterate beer etc.
The licensing Act 1872, Section 19
Penalty on adulteration of intoxicating liquor, Section (1) says
Every person who mixes or causes to be mixed with any intoxicating liquor sold or exposed for sale by him any deleterious ingredient, that is to say, any of the ingredients specified in the First Schedule to this Act,........ http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/35-36/94/crossheading/adulteration/enactedFIRST SCHEDULE Deleterious Ingredients Cocculus indicus, chloride of sodium otherwise common salt, copperas, opium, Indian hemp, strychnine, tobacco, darnel seed, extract of logwood, salts of zinc or lead, alum, and any extract or compound of any of the above ingredients.In most cases the substances cited in the Act were used to increase the intoxicating power of the liquor, but a few were used as dyes.
Stan
