The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1878-11-30

-----.-----fOISONED-SwEEfS--'--,
Danger Larking in the Sugars and sirups
On Which the Youngsters Feed.
From tho Louisville Courier Journal
So many dangerous sirups and sugars
have flooded the market OF late that il
may be Of interest to the public to read
the Expressions Of . scientist in regard
to the matter. Parents may be admin.
istering virtually . poison to their chill
dren when they feed them with sirup, and
it lis well enough for them to be on theil
guard against the clear looking but per.
nicious kinds of molasses, which may
contain the most injurious ingredients
in them. .i5a-s
Yesterday reporter of the Courier.
Journal obtained from DR.. j. P. Barnum
some interesting facts in regard to the
various sirups and sugars and their ef.
feet. The first question propounded
was, Have you examined lately any Of
the various sirups which are for sale al
the grOceriesa" ......-.,-
81 have examined" said the doctor,
"quite large number of refined sugars
and sirups during the past few months
and have not been able to obtain 9
single sample, except either whole OF
cHt-loaf, which was free from artificial
glucose (prepared from starch by the
action of sulphuric aci6, muriate Of
iron, and other equally dangerous solu-
tons. The sirups were even worse thar
the sugars, containing from fifteen to
forty per cent. of glucose, which always
showed large quantities of free sulphu-
nc acid, single honorable exception,
which came from Belcher's refinery in
St. Louis, being the only one fit to be
taken into the human stomach"
care all the sirups made now tainted
with poisonp" asked the reporter, some
what alarmed.
"While this wholesale poisoning Of
the people has been going on for years
in q limited way, it seems to have cul-
minated at the present time in driving
out all the honorable manufacturers in
refined sugars, and giving over the mar.
ket entirely to the PRISONERS.
"What effect does sulphuric acid
have on persona"
"The effects of the continued use of
sulPhuric acid (oil of vitrioD on the sys-
tenn need hardly be mentioned. Grip
ing pains in the stomach, irritation of
the whole alimentary canal, diarrhea,
cholera morbus and cholera infantum,
ending too frequently in adults with
chronic diarrhea or dyspepsia, and in
the child, to whom sugar is often the
principal article of food, in death.
have had under my personal observation
cases where whole families of children
have been poisoned by the use of sirup
as an article of food. 1t is extremely
probable that the large loss of life among
young children during the past summer
from cholera infantum and similar dis
eases was largely increased by, if not
primarily due to, the use of adulterated
sugar as an article of food"
SHOW is it that the Government does
not put stop to such rascality?"
"The certificates attached to invoices
of sugar by the Government Inspector
and exports are thoroughly worthless,
and only calculated to deceive, as the
tests required are easily evaded by the
sharp rascals, while the polariscope has
become positive instrument for swim
dling-no better than q brace-box in the
hands of a faro dealer.''
"What is good test to employ for
discovering the presence of the poi
sonp"
"Dissolve a little sugar in distilled or
pure rain-water in test-tube or homeo-
path vial. To this add a few drops of
solution of chloride of barium. If a
occurs and the solution be-
comes clouded, add q few drops of nitric
acid and heat to boiling. II the solu-
ton remains clear after the addition of
the barium solution or become clear
after boiling with nitric acid, no artif-
cial sugar is present. A good test for
of tin is to dissolve as before,
add a few drops of solution of car
Donate of ammonia, which will show
he presence of stunous or stanic acid,
BY the solution becoming turbid on &C
count of the precipitation of sulphate,
If tin"
"Aren't these solutions rather too
for common useP''
"These solutions, with test tubes,
will cost but tride, and will show con-
the presence of the most COM
non and dangerous adulteration of sug-
rs and sirups, and, while in some in.
tances, in unskillful hands, it may con-
lemn an article of sugar or sirup which
las only an accidental mixture of HARM
ess phosphates, it will in no case fail to
how the presence of sulphuric acid and
nuriate of tin. Its errors are all in the
light direction, if any occur, and can be
RELY used by any housekeeper. Sam
les of sugar, sirup or honey, which
how precipitation with the above re-
gents, should never be used for Gull
airy purposes"
The Neatness Of French Women.
On our way writes q French CORE
pondent) we INDUCED in q brown
Judy as to why Parisians have a. repu-