The Van Buren press., 1878-12-10
POISONED SWEETS.
Danger Lurking In the Sugars and
Syrups ON Which the Yonng-
stcrs Feed.
From the Louisville Courier. Journal.


From the Louisville Courier Journal.
So many dangerous srups aud 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 lmin.
isterng virtually a poison to their chill.
dren when they feed them with strip, and
il is well enough for them to be on their
guard against the clear looking but per.
neous kinds of molasses, which may
contain the most Injurious ingredients
in them.
Yesterday n reportefiof the Courier.
Journal obtained from DR.. j. 2. Barnum
some inteses,ng facts in regard to the
various sirups and sugars and their eff.
feet, The first question propoundei
was. " Have you examined lately any OF
the various sirups which are for sale at
the groceoies y
~ have examined said the doctor,
quite large number Of refined sugars
and sirups during the pas few months,
and have not been able to obtain a
eihSiS SauIic, CASSPt CitHtI WHulc VI
eut-loaf, which was free from artificial
glucose prepared from starch by the
action of sulphurc acid, muriate solu-
tions The sirups were even worse than
the sugars, containing from fifteen to
forty per cent Of glfeose, which always
showed large quantities OF free snphu
rio acid, single honorable exception,
which came from Beleher's refinery in
St. Louis, being the only one fit to be Ia
| ken into the human stomach"
Are all the sirups made now tainted
with poison T. asked the reporter, some
what alarmed.
While this wholesale poisoning Of
the people has been going on Tor years
In a hunted way, IT seems to have cul
minated at the presen. time in driving out
all the honorable manufacturers in refined
sugars, and giving over the market en-.
trely to the poisoners.
"What effect does sulphuric cid have
! on person =
"The effects Of the continued use of
sulphuric acid (oil of vilrol) on the sys-
ten need hardly be mentioned Gripping
pains in the stomach, irritation of the
whole ailmentary canal. diarrhGa, cholera
morbus and cholera infantum, ending too
frequently in adults with chronic dlar.
rbea or dyspepsa, 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 strip as an article of food
1t is extremely probable that the large
loss of life among young children during
the past summer from chol.ra infantum
and similar diseases was largely increas
ed by, if not primarily due to, the
| use Of adulterated sugar as an article Of
food -
"How is it that the Government does
not put a stop to such rascality r
The certificates attached to invoices
of sugar by the G vernment Inspector
and exports are thoroughly worthless,
and only calculated to deceive. as the
tests required are easily evaded by the
sharp raseals. while the polarscope has
become positive instrument for swim
ilino no better than u htace-box Ia the
hands OF faro dealer
| What is good test to employ for
discovering the presence OF the poi
| son I"
Dissolve little sugar in distilled or
pure rain water in a test tube or home
path vial. To this add few drops of
solution of chloride Of barum. II a
precpitate occurs aud the solution he
comes clouded, and few drops of nitric
| a,,;l "a a.
ton remains clear after the addition of
the barium solution or become clear
after boiling with nitric acid, no artli
cial sugar is present A good test for
mnriate of tin is to dissolve as before,
add few drops of solution Of car
Donate of ammonia. which will show
the presence Of stunous or stanic acid.
by the solution Becoming turbid on nc
count OF the precipitation of sulphate
of TIM" ~
aren't these solutions rather too ex.
penslve for common use p
These solutions, with test tubes,
will cost but tribe, and will show con
clusively the presence of the most com
mon and dangerous adult Grafton OF sug.
airs and sirups, and while in some in
stances. in unskillful hands. it may con.
denim an article of sugar or sirup which
has only an accidental mixture of harm
less phosy hates, it will in no case fail tn
show the presence of sulphuric acid and
nuriate of tin Its errors are all in the
right direction. if any occur, and can be
freely used by any housekeeper., Sam
pies of sugar, sirup or honey, which
show precipitation with the above re.
agents, should never be used for culina
ry purposes