National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1877-05-24
NASTY CONDEMNATION,

dicnt Really Contained but Small 4 mount
OF sulphuric Acid.
The zeal displayed by tho Beard Of Health
Of this city in bringing to Judgment the indi-
Viduals who are bold and bad enough 10 at
tempt TO palm on the citizens of Washington
unwhoesome OF hascly adultcatcd provisions
would appear In tho highest degree commend.
able did that same Board of Health possess y
corresponding amount Of the sort Of knowledge
required to distinguish between what Is in.
furious to health and what Is promoiivc Of
health, or nj least harmless. Tho Board Of
Health should have at least me member who
Is educated and competent Ia discern unmis.
takably just when and in what way the health
Of the consumer will he inimcd or destroyed
by the provisions under suspicion before pro.
ceeding to place such provisions or materials
under condemnation. To be able thus to cx-
anime Understandings articles suspected, n
thorough knowledge Of general aud physi0lop.
cal chemistry. materia mcdira aud toxicology
is necessary. and with such knowledge u close
study Of the particular subject under consid.
Grafton.
Foi set Of men. placed as judges over our
merchants aud citizens generally concerning
the conditions necessary to the public health.
ia pass Judgment upon mcrc suspicion or with
out consideration, OF TO condemn, in I'M
measured terms and without n knowledge Of
the facts of the ease. any article in the market,
Is u species Of official "arclcsSncss or ignorance
which. IN order that merchants and Others
may he justly protected, should he punished rs
public miShemcaunr. All lawful aud in
tClligcnt cmdravoTS Of the Bolri nf Health to
arrest in their infancy any attempts made by
any one Ia introduce into he markets ohuoN-
inus. unwhnCSomc or Illegally a1ultcratcd
Articles should he commended hut the board
should he cautious aud careful before pass
ing Judgment. The Beard Of Health recently
H.. "a l..
for sale by uumhrr Of cntrrrriSing mer-
chants. aud. passing quick condemnation upon
II, forbade its further sale. and intinatcd that
II must all hc forfeited. Within n few days
following il was reported all over thrcity that
this particular brand of vinegar contained
such an enormously large amount of sulpIiuric
acid that II had been condemned by the
Board of Health.
The merchants holding the vinegar refused
to give il mp until it had been subjected to II
chemical analysis. and proceeded to have il
analysed hy competent chemist. Tho re-
suit of the analysis proves cnnclusivcly that
the vinegar does not contain an abnormal
amount Of sulphurir acid, but Is up to the
standard al good vinegar and the Board Of
Health has withdrawn its objections. Now.
while this last action of the Board cf Health
permits the merchants to sell the vinegar IL
dncS not by any means leave them in the posi-
tion they held before the decree Of rondrnina-
ton, for the report has gone abroad over the
city that that particular brand Of vinegar con
tans n comparatively large amount Of sui
phuric acid, when in fact IL contains an in
significant quantity and II will take the
truth many days to catch up with that false
report, ami in the meantime our merchants
must suffer from l,SS Of sales by reason Of the
frightened ONES refusing to buy. The follow
ing Is the report Of the chemist who analyzed
the vinegar for parties Interested in it in this
city
EENTIENEN Amer n careful examination and
chemical anaySis ofthe ample Of vinegar taken from
Your siorp have To report follows: sperihr gravity
OF the Vinegar, IOlE total amount Ut solids present,
srsnS pr S,"n iss ",G, ash trains per SSllom
grains Of Irc surhniic sid pieS"ni per gallon a'n
sallon, sSo5; pho .ploric acid present, traces
Before prn,ting 10 the consideration Of tho anes-
acid ndcaie by Ibis sn.ysis Us present in The vinegar
clin prove injurious to health allow To refer you
su,hori-, and iherbS to ascertain 10 villa, r~tomi !,
1Sn 81 t nd4 h "S : s ~ By TIL sI law Dr.
sulplnfr acid Is tonir. r-iIiverani pnd a>lringrnt.
IT, ,h% a. nn, nom brSSn Es a S%s
,notng digestion IN oct9hcr, -. III. u. ".
lhr iapn,lon MGiiTd TIn,'s and Ga:N. ii, whrn
he strongly recommends sulphuTir acid ~ chronic
frirniS IL more Than ninety eases wiiI,on, = single
I,ilur'; ~. do-e .inpo,cN was half nnhi dischm
Ordinary ,l,r~ every quarter Of an hour In severe
rs o T m. % ,n r P %mI, i and Sr Usually
p'ts the doS- f''n tor to thirty drops hr.c times
,SHScrninE The ir,IHr@n"nis Of The Fn.:ii"S law. Dr.
VIM til"n Miller says: commercial vinegar Is
allowed by law to contain ihnsnidih OF its
weight of slhu,lr acIl. the prcf"mcr Of which PIE
.r'ls the yI'gnr fon bynnns mnnlir; tEi'ments
prevent III. nulriihclive Change witch onen takes
place in vinegar when carrit-sSly prepared nom
mat. wine, &C., II was at one time supposed Ia bc
nec-ssary 10 add asn'ali quantity OF snihurir acid
This notion has long since been shownlu he false
acid TO ." parts vinegar Is permitted by an excise
"n 80 H n%s n ss' as hnS bus sn af Tim
these Limits and u pmr" snEnn,c ach be used no
n Ats, Manufac'aies and Mines, sappsmSni, New
ioik ls'Si page ~ > when, therefore, much
ofany nnsious ingredient, such water may always be
relied npnn as Garornb!" 20 the production Of good
Cnal dilute >ulr hur actd is is7 and dose Of thirty
DROPS or one half nnid drachni contains about ~
grains Of anhydIous sulphurlc acid, and three doses
s %%% SS 10 he Ia ,ns sn n
inInrinns The Trainers of the EnglSh law, guided by
Of Zone par, Of sphurc acid per go, which is equiva
lent TO hnyrig grains per gallon, aud the ceietrate,
D urs s,aies that n9 danger can ensue from the nd
My analysis or your vinegar Indicates aOs grains Of
The quantity alownhe by The English law and oi no
danger 10 health being less than half the amount
TO increase spprliir and stimulate the digestion Of
Their dysneP,c s',i"ns snpPosinE any one person
would certainly be M cxcessiye quantity hut about
Viii regard !" The MINERAL saphates, Tor suiphSric
,aid GnInh,ned with mineral matter In the vinegar
origin IN the water us,rI Such as may
ALWAYS lie relied upon Us favorable for the production
From lhe-. facts and figures your own Judgment
WI kuld" you to correct conclusion as TO whether Or
MIners
n: Msrs Er0oods o.. Lom,iona os"ae, Ii"sh"d
h', d. q