T HOSE who have treated any considerable number of alcoholic patients know that the type of poisoning produced by present-day liquors is somewhat different from that seen in pre-prohibition days. This has become a matter of common knowledge. Nevertheless, we cannot consider the sort of poisoning caused by the illicit liquors now in use as an entirely new and definite clinical entity. We must consider it as alcoholism, though of an aberrant type. Popularly it is known as moonshine poisoning. Strictly speaking, moonshine liquors are illicit distillation products of fermented mashes prepared locally or domestically. Doran and Boyer,' on a basis of 75,000 examinations, report that, due to poor control of fermentation, faulty distilling methods, and lack of aging, the raw whiskey, or moonshine, now produced has a high content of aldehydes and particularly of acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is a rapid intoxicant inducing profound stupor and deleterious after effects (Holland2) . Contrary to popular belief, fusel oil and the higher alcohols are not responsible for the high toxicity. Old whiskey also contains these, but polymerization of the aldehydes has caused detoxication. Aldehydes, and especially acetaldehyde, are then the characteristic toxic substances of' moonshine whiskey. From questioning patients in the hospital it appears that nearly all of them have used some of this raw, illicitly distilled liquor. Besides true moonshine liquor, there are other beverages containing toxic substances. Wood alcohol, denatured alcohol, synthetic gin, toilet waters, tincture