It is the worst expedient that the brewer can practise: the beer thus rendered _mild_, soon loses its vinous taste; it becomes vapid; and speedily assumes a muddy grey colour, and an exceedingly disagreeable taste. These sophistications may be considered, at first, as minor crimes practised by fraudulent brewers, when compared with the methods employed by them for rendering beer noxious to health by substances absolutely injurious. To increase the intoxicating quality of beer, the deleterious vegetable substance, called _cocculus indicus_, and the extract of this poisonous berry, technically called _black extract_, or, by some, _hard multum_, are employed. Opium, tobacco, nux vomica, and extract of poppies, have also been used. This fraud constitutes by far the most censurable offence committed by unprincipled brewers; and it is a lamentable reflection to behold so great a number of brewers prosecuted and convicted of this crime; nor is it less deplorable to find the names of druggists, eminent in trade, implicated in the fraud, by selling the unlawful ingredients to brewers for fraudulent purposes. _List of Brewers prosecuted and convicted from 1813 to 1819, for receiving and using illegal Ingredients in their Brewings._[70] Richard Gardner, brewer, for using adulterating ingredients, 100_l._, judgment by default. Stephen Webb and another, brewers, for using adulterating ingredients, and mixing strong and table beer, verdict 500_l._ Henry Wyatt, brewer, for using adulterating ingredients, verdict 400_l._ John Harbart, retailer, for receiving adulterating ingredients, verdict 150_l._ Philip Blake and others, brewers, for using adulterating ingredients, and mixing strong and table beer, verdict 250_l._ James Sneed, for receiving adulterating ingredients, 25_l._ and costs. John Rewell and another, brewers, ditto, verdict 100_l._ John Swain and another, ditto, for using adulterating ingredients, verdict 200_l._ John Ing, brewer, ditto, stayed on defendant's death. John Hall, ditto, for receiving adulterating ingredients, 5_l._ and costs. John Webb, retailer, for using adulterating ingredients. Ralph Fogg and another, brewers, for receiving and using adulterating ingredients. John Gray, brewer, for using adulterating ingredients, 300_l._ and costs. Richard Bowman, for using liquid in bladder, supposed to be extract of cocculus, 100_l._ Richard Bowman, brewer, for ditto, 100_l._ and costs. Septimus Stephens, brewer, for ditto, verdict 50_l._ James Rogers and another, brewer, for ditto, 220_l._ and costs. George Moore, brewer, for using colouring, 300_l._ and costs. John Morris, for using adulterating ingredients. Webb and Ball, for using ginger, Guinea pepper, and brown powder, (name unknown), 1st 100_l._ 2nd 500_l._ Henry Clarke, for using molasses, 150_l._ Kewell and Burrows, for using cocculus india, multum, &c. 100_l._ Allatson and Abraham, for using cocculus india, multum, and porter flavour, 630_l._