Synopsis

The summer of 1930, late and heavy, witnessed the emergence of a peculiar affliction in Wichita, Kansas: a pronounced, unsteady walk known as the Jake Dance. (One might observe a man moving with a pronounced stagger, supported by a cane held in each hand.) While various alcoholic beverages existed, only ethyl alcohol was considered safe for consumption. Many had been drinking Ginger Jake, however, which was tainted with methyl alcohol—also referred to as "wood alcohol." Prolonged consumption of