The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1791-08-26 00:00:00, page 1

Nevmampfhire
INDENTS-
Old & New EMISSION
MONE Y, &h
By the Subscriber.
SIMON WIGGIN.
Exeter, August io, 1791.
AND the hi heft price, given
For STATE NOTES—
CERTIFICATES—
FINAL SETTLEMENTS-
DANGEROUS EFFECTS of COP
PER VESSELS.
[From Dr. Fothergill'f Cautions on the
Poison of Lead aid Coffer, jtf feub-
It/htd ]
TT is (as our author jaftly observe;)
1 extremely unpleafanr to reflect on the
dangers, to which we are so often ex
posed by the use of copper vessels for
preparing various foods. The confe
deration has indeed induced some dis
creet families to difeard this danger
ous metal frog culinary precedes. But
tho' verdigris is one of rhe most violent
poisons in nature, yet the greater part
of mankind, rather than abandon an
old custom, are content to fivallow a
portion of this notion every day ! Ac
cordingly vdfels of copper, brass or
bell-metal, are permitted to supply
their refpedive quota of this dclerrbus
fubfance to imbue our several viands.—
Having, thro' long ofage, obtained a
quiet Settlement amongst us, they now
claim, as it were, a prescriptive right
to assist at all culinary operations— a
claim which we seem to have neither
inclination or refolutiun to dispute ; for
notwithstanding erefry remonstrance to
the contrary, copper and its compounds
continue to disgrace not only our kitch
ens, dairies, and confectionaries, but
also the breweries, diflilleries, laborato
ries, and even shops of apothecaries.
The very air of those places abounding
with acid, oleaginous, and saline par
tides, penetrates and disposes them to
NOTICE is hereby given
to the Members of the
New-Harn,foire MEDICAL
SOCIETY, that the Meeting
of laid Society Hands adjourn
ed to the third Wedre'i&iv in
September next,io o'clock, A.
M. to meet at Lamforis tavern
in Exeter..
Wm. Parker, juri, Rec.
Agio 1791. [S ;:'rv.
WANTED A
new milch cow
and calf, for which cash will
be given. Enquire of the prin
ter. aug. 19.
X«>4<>T<>?R >W< >?F<>t< /#</*'<
LINSEED-OIL, given for
EXETER, (New-Han,/bire) Printed and Published by HENRY RANLET, at Nine Shillings per annum.
By Benj. Boardman.
Exeter, Ajgult 18. 1791
FRIDAY, August 26, 1791.]
CASH, or
Flax-Seed,
CAS H,
MISCELLANY.
ACTrurion, even before they are used.
The mildest fluids such as milk, whey,
or eyen plain waer, left io Hard in o
pen copper vcffels receive an impreg
nation of the merri, difcoveruble by the
volatile a kali. But it is remarkable
hat the correction always begins a the
furface, in contra with 1 c air, and is
diflinguilhabic by leaving a gteeniCh
rinc, inch in the rewer cf the rir in
promoting the salon of ;'c met feuem.
On ihi« principle, perhaps ma) be ex
plained why acid vapours a^t more
[O^ifJiy on lead she copper thaAlg
acids themlelves, converting the former
more fpecdil, into ceres, the latter into
verdigris.
People generally imagine that the ill
ffetb 0 copper are entirely prevented
ay its being tinned, and therefore wi h.-
out hefitauun commit 40 such vefl'tls
acid soups, vinegar, iennnjuice, apple
sauce, greens, butter, and other arti
cles equally exceptionable, where they
are fometimts feffered to remain a con
fiderabic time, without any suspicion of
danger. But te tin which lines the
copper is so extremely thin, that it is
icon abraded, cr even penetrated by the
verdigiis which innovates itfelf thro'
:ne pores of the metal, and at length
je>rays itielf-by a green eiHorefcenc on
the furface. Acd 10 thir, the tin is ge
nerally alloyed with a considerable pro,
person of lead, befidrs an additional
quantity contained in the fonder.
Example are indeed too frequent of
fatal coniequences from foods that had
received a taint from copper vessel%
whether from the food being or an acid
nature io as to corrode or difolvea por
tion of the metal, or from the veflel
having cotraded a soluble rust or virdi
g.is, oy exp sure to the air or being
badly tinned. The affeding incident
of this kind, which happened feme years
ago to federal gentlemen, at an enter
tainment at Salt-Hill, is still within
cur remembrance. Though it was
then generally attributed to adulterated
wine, it was at length brought to light
by the confeffion of the cook, who ac
knowledged just before her death, that
it was wholly owing to the poison of
copper, in conference of her own care
leffneft, and which, thro' fear of panifh
ment, she had been induced till then to
conceal.
On dipping into some of our best f,f
tems of modern cookery which have un
dergone several additions, I am sorry
to find, araidft the numerous corrections
and improvement, so much room Hill
left for amendment, and so much seri
ous cause for animad+e fioa. Nor is
this to be wondered at. The culinary
art depends ateoft entirely on chemi
cal principles ; every profeiTed cook
may in some measure be considered as a
practical chemist ; and the kitchen, the
laboratory wherein are dairy performed
various chemical processes highly impor
tant to health. The principles of che
mistry therefore ought to be well under
flood by these who praaice cookery, and
particularly by such as undertake to in
ftru& others in the art.— But where (hall
we find cooks competent to the talk ; or
a tingle book on the fubje& that does
not betray the author's ignorance, not
only of the chemical properties of the
various fubftahces, but llfo of the ves
sels, and apparatus employed ? From
this cause proceed many dangerous mis
takes and inaccuracies. These from
time to time are copied by futceeding
writers, perhaps equally enlightened as
their predecessors, and are thus trans
mitted thro various n w 'impre ffions.—
Hence we every where meet with error
and inconfillency, blended with inftruc
tioas ; and these pervade all their
works.
It is curious to remark, that in the
introductory part of these complete Trea-
T H E
^w
tifes on modern Cookery,the reader is
generally very graved admen flied a
gainst the use of vessels made of copper,
brass, and other <ar-ge cut maerials—
that vinegar and lab penetrate common
earthen-ware, and therefore pickles
ought to be kept in ftene or glab jars.
But when arrived at the receipts for
pickling and preferring acid fruits,
that mull be 'he gentle reader's afto
niihment to find thole very vrficlstX
ptefs'y recommended which io lately
were abfolu el) condemned. Thus,in the
proceft for pickling gsikins or young
cucumbers, " the bell ahi e-wine vine
gar in which they are to be pickled, it
ordered to be boiled in a bell-metal pot."
In a subsequent receipt cucumbers are
direded to be pickled in pester dilhes
with fall interpoftd. Afterwards the
vinegar to be poured from them into a
copper saucepan with a little fait.' It
is added, " they will then be fit to eat
in two or hiee days !"
IN order to give you some
idea of the consequence of
your correspondent, who is
now writing to you, permit
me to tell you that I have, for
time immemorial, been the
idol of all polished, and polite
nations upon earth, as well
of Kings and Emperors as of
each individual of their fub
jedts—ln pursuit of me, the
adventurous mariners cross
the most dangerous oceans,
and struggle against the roar
ing winds, the angry billows
of the ocean and the howl
Lt men pickles are ordered to be done
in an Earthen dish—golden pippins in
a Pewter difh,with Vinegar, &c.~ "To
pickle famphire ; put it in o a Biafs
saucepan, throw in a handful cf fait,and
cover it with good Vinegar, and set it
over a flow fire."
Others, with less reserve, recom
mended Copier, copper coin to be pu,
into each veil I in which these pickles
are kept, becavle, fay they. " it pre
fervts their colour and gives them a
beautiful green."
From earing a quantity of fine pick
led femphire thus imbued with copper,
an amiable young lady was prelently
seized with dreadful convulhons, which
soon pot a period to her life. This
melancholy case has been already com
municated '0 he public by my ingeni
ous friend, Dr. Percivol.*
If our pickles mull abfolutelv kok
green to phafc the eye at the expence
of health, or even life, why should our
fair author?, 'who preside over all culi
nary operations, and consequently over
Our health and lives, thus mince the
matter ? Why net steep the pickles at
once in a strong folutibn of verdigris ?
This surely, on certain occasions, would
be a capital improvement, as it would
speedily impart to them a more ele
gant green, together wih the entire
virtue of. the salutary ingredient. . By
thus rendering them " fit to eat" in
two or three hours, inflead of as many
days, it would dispatch the business
with more certainty and greater expe
dition.
•See Med. Tears. of the Royal College,
Vol. iii,
Whoe'er gets.ME needs never fear,
He's learn'd, he's wife, and whatfo-'er
He pleases.
Gazetteer.
ing tempest of contending
elements.
By me the most (lately
domes and palaces are rais
ed; and whatever may be
corf:deted as nagnmeent and
great,owes its ex Hence to my
influence, alone, 1 feed the
hungary, clothe the naked,
and make the lorrowful heart
loon to rejoice I procure
youthful husbands for old
maids,and lo cHe^ually draw
the veil over homely features,
as to make them pals for
beautiful and lov< I ; and,
without my influence, even
beauty itlelf holds but atran
lient and momentary power.
To me the proudest man
will bow his head, bend his
knee, and carels me, while he
frowns with ineltable con
tempt on every one cite that
lurrcgnds him. Jam admit
ted into the most secret cabi
net of princes, whole minis
ters fawn, cringe, prostrate
themselves at mv net and
not a single Court beauty wul
stir from her house, unless I
attend her, as her guardian
and prote6orin caie of neces
sity. lam the patr nos the
arts and Sciences,, the author
of the most useful difeoveries
and the fineft improvements ;
since to me the mechanic owes
his existence, and to me only
the artist looks up for encou-
Even the firft assemblies of
the nation own my influence,
I preside in all their councils,
and direct all their decisions
But notwithstanding all t] ]e
power I maintain, it i; f re _
quentlv found with experi
ence, that the, poflfeffion of
me does not always procure
happineft to _my possessor,
and Inch is the ingratitude
of mankind, that I am fre
quently employed on the
basest purposes.
[Numb. 8 of Volume 6.
ragement.
Law, physic, and divinity,
would be soon extirpated
from the earth,were not those
different profeffors kept alive
by me, to whom they look up
as the only object of their
perfuit. In short what may
be the profeffion of an indi
vidual, I am the sole cause and
motive of the most shining
adions, the most brilliant
exploits, and the most heroic
feats.