New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-18
Nasty Summer Drinks.

With the arrival of warm weather. thu
usual eigns Of ''cool soda water, witt
choice syrups," may be seen at every turn
while Fountains Of Health" may also be
found at every corner. Soda water, &c
called, is nothing but ordinary croton,
more or less charged with carbonic acid
gas, and, as to its quality. much depends
upon the manner Of this charging, and the
character of the vessel in which the bever-
age is kept. As in many other branches of
business, the competition in the manufac.
ture OF soda water has become 80 great that
prices have been materially reduced. and
large profits can only be realized by
either reducing the cost of the article or
by efecting large sales. To charge water
with carbOnic acid gas, and thus con
vert it into what is popularity termed
| soda water, or, more correctly speaking,
carbOnic acid water, does not require any
expensive materials-marble dust and sui.
phuric acid, both very cheap, and water.
which costs still less, are eli the ingredi.
ents. The purity Of the carb0nic acid gas
which is to be forced into the water depends
upon the amount OF labor bestowed upon
it. Unless made in very large quantities.
which only the largest makers can do, it is
necessarily very expensive in the way OF
time and labor to purify it. This naturally
results in furnishing US dilute elixir Of
vltrlol. which, when somewhat sweetened
with syrup, becomes quite palatable; but,
it the reader desires to satisfy himself Of
the impurities and absolutely poisonous
qualities of much of the soda water sold, let
him try glass of plain soda or car onic acid
water, without any syrup, and he will soon
ind that he is drinking an calculated water
with decided metallic taste; whereas, if
the carbonic acid water is pure, it is simply
water, with the sparkle, life, and very
slight but pleasant acid taste, lust like
champagne. Here is the first difficulty with
this popular drink. Add to this the inability
OF many manufacturers to tit their appa- |
ratus with the later improvements and re- |
Numbering the strong acid contained in the |
inside Of the receiver or fountain which |
holds it, and from which, through pipes
equally exposed to it's action, it lie dispensed |
to the public to spread lead collie, lead poi-
sonine, and the still more dangerous effects
OF poisoning by verdigris, the result of
the action of acids upon copper. Very
many of these fountains are still made of
copper, and great deal Of piping is yet
made of lead. Block tin and porcelain
lining are too expensive for every manu-
facturer to employ them as preventives
against the poisoning effects of lead and
copper. These it is unnecessary to repeat.
they have been 80 often spoken Of Lead
palsy and lead collie, stomach. ache, bowel
difficulties OF various kinds, kidney COM
pA0iulo anu OlCou Oe6Cn, are the results of
,aking lead or copper in the human stomach.
It is safe to assert that in very MANY in.
'tances there are from three to ten grains
II the acetate Of lead or copper in the glass
# soda water sold to us. Particularly ia !
his this case where, owing to the limited
mount OF trade done, the acidulated water
lands for any length of time in contact
With the fountain or pipes
But granting even that the carbopic acid !!
7ater is served pure. and properly purified. !
rom iron porcelain lined fountains, through !
lock tin pipes, We still have another
rOuble with the syrups which are put in
ne glass to sweeten and flavor the water. |
he most popular syrups are those gener-
!ly called lemon, sarsaparilla and vanilla,
he former OF these is generally made of 4
lrraric acid. and even il oil Of lemon ia
sed II is the cheapest and most impure. q,
ing strongly adulterated with oil OF tur- o
.ntins: the sweetening is supplemented Il
18th glucose, the manufactured grape sugar Fl
ON rotten starch, which, as the ..Nercurv Is
's already explained, is a dangerous ma 81
rial Tor our stomachs, as it is productive Fl
diabetes, one of the most fatal diseases of In
Q Kidneys. Sarsaparilla does not contain b,
e lota OF sarsaparilla, beng only the VI
mmon glucose syrup, and often mOiasses II
'vored with the oil of wintergreen and n
ssafras. Many people order sarsaparilla &C
rup with the vain hope that, as they have W
ard that ssrsaparilla is good for the bt
BOD, this syrup must also be good. Syrup ] be