The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1855-03-09
MISCELLANY.
Adulteration of Food.

Adu1teration of Food.
On Thursday evening last, lecture was
delivered in the Town Hail. Chorlton-upon-
Medlock, by Mr.. +. Grace Calvert, honora-
ry professor of chemistry at the Royal Man
chester Institution, under the auspices of
the Manchester and Stafford Sanitary Asso-
citation, OH "Thc adultcration of food"
There was a very large attendance Mr..
Robert Barbour presided; and there were
on the platform, Mcssrs. John Iatton,
Thomas Wright, John Fildes, Chas. Allen,
DC. The Chairman said he was aware that
MIR. Calvert had devoted great attention to
the question of the adulteration of food,
which was carried on to an alarming cx-
tent; and was matter well deserving the
notice OF the sanitary association. Mr.. Cal
vert said his present lecture was to be re-
garded as the sequel TO one which he dcliv-
cred last year, on digestion, in which he
pointed out the various kinds of food Which
man required to sustain life. He then sta
ted that five distinct kinds of food were nee
cssary, namely, food for respiration, a blood
food, another kind to maintain the flesh, a
mineral food, liquids, and air; and he en-
deavored to show that each of these foods
had specific object to perform which could
not be dispensed with Or supplied 10y any
other kind of food. lIencc, the importance
Of pure food. He was now about to show
to what q great extent our food was adul-
teratcd; and to urge the importance of
some kind of control being exercised over
the sale Of impure food, as was done in the
case of deficient weights and measures.
He would 60 so farus to say that those who
wilfully violated such law Of control suppo-
sing it to be established, should be pm
ishcl.
This Course was as necessary for the pro-
lection of the public rs in justice to the
honest dealer. The public was becoming
more and more alive to the importance of the
subject, and when Parliament met, the mem
bcrfrom Birmingham, Mr.. Scholrfcld, had
promised to draw the attention Of government
to it, and ask for a committee of inquiry. He
(Mr. Calvert) wished it to be distinctly un-
derstood that his object was to expose the
system Of adulterating food, and not to point
out individual offenders, or make invidious
reference to any class Of trades-pcople. He
should commence with one of the common
est articles found on the breakfast table
both of the rich and the poor, viz tea.
There were two kinds Of tea, black and green.
Black teas were adulterated in two ways.
There had been;:a and was still, vast amount
of black tea adultcrated in England with
sloe and hawthorn leaves; and it was q
profitable business when carried on by only
few persons, but now,it was so common
that there was little pecuniary advantage
resulting to any ono, and an immense
amount Of injury to the public. The pro.
cess Of turning sloe leaves into tea was too
long to describe. Spent tea, that which had
been once used, was also manufactured into
new tea. The process was very simple
The spent tea was put into a strong solution
of logwood, which gave tia, nice black ap.
Pearance.; Itewas easy, to detect it. Put
'some Of it into glass, pour upon it some
acid, and il there was the slightest amount
of logwood thentea became red. .{Mr. Cal.
vert illustrated this and his subsequent: facts
by exPerImentg) OF course, the mauufao-
turer Of ten mixed his renovated tea with q
larger proportion Of good tea but from 20 to
40per cent Of spent tea had been;d detected
Green tea,when' adu!terated, was a more
.serious affair. This was seldom done, 81
Il England, but the Chinese were ysry ,expert
satit. He recommends them stronp1y q noi
90 use greeh;t tea, not only Tor theirown safe
u, but to giYas lesson 70 the poisoner 81. it
Many green teas were adhlteyate ed with the
most, poisonous substance, such es sarsenite
81 copper, .to give II. g. green coloE BLACK
othsf dsletS tStioas sabstapces tthes aissoYs:
n