, 1874-03-08

Luz aftIRbo 11Tlt4eu eatel, IL LIS HtouACu D6
ut n1l sensitive, must be in state Of trihulation
just now over recent revelations Of the tricks in
ttnde practiccd in that country by venders Of
food. DrB. Hassau and Tidy, Of tho London
Medical Health Board, have recently been cx-
amining the subject Of adultoration aud their
reports are little less than appalling. 1t hes
long been known that the "lcathen CLinee y
adulterates his teas, and colors them with tur-
mario, Pruse1an blue, and white mineral pow
der, hut wo we're hardly prepared for the u.s.
surance that tho tea dirt or sweepinEa, which
sells ut D. very low price and is largely usec for
mixing, is the purest aud best tea in the market
In connection with the tea, it is furthermore
shown that tho sugar is we'll sanded, the milk
adulterated With water polluted by infltration
Of sewage, and the water which is mixed with
the tea begins to show several new aud large
specimens OF living organisms. Much horse
flesh is sold for beef. Even "double SUPER
fine" mustard is -four co1ored with tu11nerio
and seasoned with capsicum. II this be the
condition OF 'doublo superdno," what m1st
s' 'euperfne and slime" mustard be7 As
to '' ordinary" the mind Rhrinks from
contemplating ita possibilities. A practice
similar to that Of s'facing" tea is whiten-
ing bread with alum. Suiphate Of iron i
put into beer to give it head. Pickles ajB
greened with copper. Confectionery is co1o}fd
with poisons. Cheese is improved with red efd.
The latest horror is the discovery that mrsh~
room catsup is adulterated with tho juice 'ex-
pressed from horse-liyers. Straw pulp is largely
used in making jam. Plain spirit Is made from
grains at the distillery, and becomes gin, brandy,
rum, or even wines Mt tho pleasure Of the rocti-
fer. With regard to butter, DR.. Tidy SAYS
"The cheap buffers are far more closely related
to tallow, and lard, and palm oil than they are
to cream, sour or sweet. Samples Of Ro-cal1ed
butter have been submitted to mo in which there
was not trace Of butter. Purified tallow (and
that not very pure) would be an infinitely more
accurate name for it thnn butter. This is what
our poor are supplied with at Sd and Is per
pound. And even this fat is probably more than
25 per cent salt and water"
AL this 1s sufficiently dreadful, although 1t
does not probably begin to exhaust the cata-
logue Of adulterations. Nevertheless, as adul-
teration bas becn practiced since the world COM
menced, and always will bo practiced until some
method can be devised which will make q gen.
uine article just as cheap as an adulterated one,
and as no law or System Of laws has ever yet
been able to prevent adulteration, what good is
accomplished By these analyses Of doctors and
tests Of experts? So long IS the adulte1ations
are not positively harmful, and the victim
he is eating or drinking genuine
article, why interfere with his ploasuro2 Why
bang over his chair as he ats down to his meals
and whisper into his ear suspicious that his but
ter ia tallow, and his buscuit is whitened with
alum, and his tea ia colo1ed with Prussian blue
sud his slice Of cold beef is equine? Il he
thinks his supper is genuine, and his supper
agrees with him, why dispel his happy a1lusion
Why not let him eat in peace? Until the doc
tors can inform us Of eome plan which will stop
The practice Of adulteration, they might, out Of
mere pity and commiseration, cease informing
Us that our food is adulterated, and allow us to
enjoy our meals without tormenting suspicious |
,nd annoying after-thoughta.