"tamarack"? = whiskey

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>   "Tamarack" is a type of tree. Is there any evidence outside of the
>possible 1879 circus-slang article in the _Cincinnati Enquirer_ that
>it could also refer to whiskey.

Tamarack (or larch) bark was used as a bronchitis remedy, I believe. This
was often taken as a tincture, apparently, sometimes composed predominantly
of whiskey. Casual or humorous reference to one's whiskey as medicine is
not unknown, and "tamarack [tincture]" = "whiskey" would go along with
another entry in the list, viz. "elixir".

Just speculating.

-- Doug Wilson