New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-12-08
UNsOyND GRAIN AND FLOUR.

Does the use of bread and other articles OF human
food made of unsound grain and -four produce inju'
rious effects upon the public health-upOn the health
Of persons whose subsistence, in any considerable pro-
portion, consists Of such provision What diseases.
if any, are consequent apon that kind of diet 1t
has often been said by physicians, and believed by
unprofessona people, that feyers of low lingering
typhoid character often come from low living: from
want Of nourshng food; especially from bread made
Of unsound grain or -four. Apprehensous that on
this ground have been entertained and expressed. are
now realized aud the attention Of the Sanitary Board
is drawn 10 the cause and tho remedy. Prevention
is preferable to cure" Have preventive powers
been promptly aud efficiently called into actioni
If our Sanitary Board should be Of opinion that q
rigid inspection of -four would aid them in their pur
pose of protecting the public health, or the interests
Of the State in its property, revenue, tolls or pur-
chases have they not power to apply to the Governor
to appoint an Inspector and has not the Governor in
such case full power to make the appointment Let
US look at the Constitution, and see what power is
granted in such an emergency. When the cholera
was upon us last Summer, suppose the Board had
been of opinion that the disease had been caused or
aggravated by unsound, musty -four, would they not
have applied to the Governor to appoint an Inspector
and failing in that would il not have been their duty
to appoint one themselves Aye; and to take care
that he should have Deputies enough to aid him in
tho efficient performance OF the duties Of his Office
But to refer 20 the Constitution Of New-York,
adopted in 1886. Article ", Section g. says: "All
Offices for the weighing. geugng, measuring, culling
or inspecting any merchandise produce, manufacture
"a - bolss al nd M
such Office shall hereafter be created by lswi but
nothing in this section contained shall abrogate any
office created for the protection Of the public health,
or the interests of the State in its property revenue.
tolls or purchases; or of supplying the people with
correct standards of weights and measures shall
prevent the creation of any Office for such purpose
hereafter"
Thus it appears that the Office of Flour Inspector
,cas created for the protection of the public health.
Every barrel Of unsound -four was branded conspcu-
ously in large. black deeplyindented letters, BAD,
in order to warn ell mankind to beware OF the poison
Gus character of the contents. Apothecaries not
more careful to label arsenic poison, than was John
Brown to brand barrels Of unsound, sour, or musty
-four, bad" The Office of Flour Inspector was not
abolished, for in the same sentence which abolishes
other things it is provided and declared But nothing
in this section contained shall abrogate any Office ere
sted for the protection Of the public health the in
terests of the State in its property revenues tolls or
purchases"
What interest can be and dearer 10 the State
than the preservation Of the public health What
more Immediately acts upon its property. revenues,
tolls or purchases fayorsby unavorably than the
preservation or the ruin of the public health Of its
commercial capital Verify, the Constitution in this
single instance, is not so shOrn of power as many have
apprehended.