The Spirits Act

1. To every ninety-eight-and-one-half parts by volume of spirits or spirituous mixture there shall be mixed not less than one part by volume of petroleum and not less than one-half of one part by volume of crude pyridine: to this shall be added not less than twenty percent by volume of petrol or benzole.

2. Any formula prescribed by the Commissioners of Customs and Excise in the United Kingdom in pursuance of powers conferred upon them by any law for the time being in force. SECOND SCHEDULE (Made section under section 3(1)) Formula CAOUTCHOUCINIZED SPIRITS Every two hundred parts by volume shall contain either: (i) at least one part of volume of light caoutchoucine and at least one part by volume of crude pyridine as specified below; or (ii) at least ten parts by volume of kerosene and at least four parts by volume of castor oil, and every one hundred gallons of the mixture must contain at least one-fortieth of an ounce of powdered aniline dye (methyl violet). (1) Nature - By “caoutchoucine” is meant the liquid obtained by the dry distillation of vulcanised rubber. By “light caoutchoucine” is meant the liquid obtained by redistilling “caoutchoucine” and collecting that portion which passes over at or below about 200°C. (2) The specific gravity of light caoutchoucine - The specific gravity of light caoutchoucine at “60°F’’ should lie between .835 and .860 referred to water as 1.000. (3) Boiling Test - For the purpose of this test, 100 c.c. of light caoutchoucine should be redistilled in the pyridine testing glass (see specification for pyridine bases). Under these conditions not more than 15 c.c. of distillate should pass over at or below 100°C, whilst a total (including the foregoing) of at least 70 c.c. should pass over at or below 200°C. 326 ©2025 Government of Tanzania. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed without permission of OAG. THE SPIRITS ACT [CAP. 222 R.E. 2023] (4) Absence of soluble constituents - When 25 c.c. of light caoutchoucine are shaken with an equal volume of water in a stoppered graduated cylinder and due time is allowed for the liquids to separate again into two layers the light caoutchoucine should show no appreciable diminuation in volume. (5) Neutrality - The aqueous layer obtained from test (4) should show no marked acidity or alkalinity when tested with both red and blue litmus paper. (6) Limit of saturated hydrocarbons - At least seventy percent, of the light caoutchoucine should be soluble in concentrated sulphuric acid. For testing this 25 c.c. should be measured off into a tapped and stoppered separating cylinder of suitable capacity and sulphuric acid should be added, at first with great care and very small quantities. After each addition of acid, the cylinder should be shaken and cooled to avoid loss of volatile constituents. Sufficient acid shall be used (usually about 50 c.c.) for the high coloured layer to become quite fluid so that it can separate readily from the upper layer of unattacked constituents. After a final thorough shaking and cooling, the cylinder should be left for about three hours to thorough shaking and cooling, the cylinder should be left for about three hours to effect complete separation of the two layers and the lower layer should be then tapped off. The almost colourless upper layer should be again shaken with strong sulphuric acid until it appears free from soluble constituents (as judged by the colour imparted to the sulphuric acid), and separated as before after standing. It should finally measure not more than 7 c.c. The acid used should be of specific gravity 1.84 and may be of commercial quality. (7) Freedom from water - Light caoutchoucine should not contain any appreciable amount of water. Any officer engaged in drawing samples for test should certify on the bottle that he has drawn the sample from the bottom of the containing vessel where the water, if present, will be found. For this purpose he should employ a syphon tube of which the shorter limb reaches to the floor of the containing vessel. He should also assure himself that the sample is collected in a bottle free of moisture. Laboratory Tests to Ascertain the Suitability of Pyridine Bases for Denaturing Alcohol I. Colour - The colour must not ordinarily be darker than that given by two cubic centimetres of decinormal iodine solution dissolved in one litre of distilled water. II. Miscibility - The pyridine bases should mix readily and completely with spirit and should give a clear or only slightly opalescent solution when mixed with twice their volume of water. III. Amount of water present - From 20 c.c. of the pyridine base mixed with 20 c.c. of caustic soda solution (density 1.4) at least 18.5 of the bases should separate, after having been repeatedly shaken together and allowed to stand. 327 ©2025 Government of Tanzania. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed without permission of OAG. THE SPIRITS ACT [CAP. 222 R.E. 2023] IV. Titration - Dissolve 1 c.c. of the pyridine bases in 9.5 c.c. of distilled water. Titrate with normal sulphuric acid until a drop of the mixture gives a definite blue spot on congo-red paper (the blue colour should at once disappear). At least 9.5 c.c. of the normal sulphuric acid should be required to produce this re-action. (To prepare the congo- red paper dissolve one gram of congo-red in one litre of distilled water. Soak filter paper in this and then dry). V. Cadmium chloride reaction - Vigorously shake together 10 c.c. of a solution of 1 c.c. of pyridine bases in 100 c.c. of distilled water with 5 c.c. of a five percent solution of dry fused cadmium chloride. A distinct crystalline precipitate should immediately result and there should be an abundant separation of crystals within ten minutes. Another 10 c.c. of the above one percent, aqueous solution should give a white precipitate when mixed with 5 c.c. of Nessler’s reagent. VI. Boiling point - Distil 100 c.c. of the pyridine bases in the manner described below. At least 50 c.c. should distil over at or under 140°C, and a total of 90 c.c. at or under 160°C. Methoa - 100 c.c. of pyridine bases are placed in a short necked copper flask of about 200 c.c. capacity. The flask is arranged on an asbestos card which has a circular hole of 30 mm. diameter cut in it. To the flask is attached a fractionating column (consisting of a tube 13 mm. wide and 170 mm. long provided with one bulb) of which the side-tube (issuing 1 c.m. above the bulb) joins a Liebig’s condenser of which the cooled part is at least 400 mm. long. A standard thermometer is placed in the head of the column so that its bulb occupies the centre of the bulb of the column. The speed of distillation is adjusted to 5 c.c. per minute, the distillate being received in a graduated glass cylinder. At least 50 c.c. should distil over at or under 140°C. and 90 c.c. at or under 160°C. at a barometric pressure of 760 mm. If the barometer varies from 760 mm. a correction of 0.1°C. for each 3 mm. variation of pressure should be applied (e.g., under a barometric pressure of 770 mm. 50 c.c. of distillate should come over at or under

140.3°C., whilst at a pressure of 750 mm. the same amount of distillate should come over at 139.7°C). 328 ©2025 Government of Tanzania. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed without permission of OAG.