Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-11-28
Adulteration of Sugar.


The Treasury Department investi-
CATION of the sugar refining business,
now proceeding in New York, has
developed the fact that for years there
has been going on a system of adultera-
tiOn the effect of which has been to
materially lessen the general revenue.
and what is vastly of more Importance,
to seriously endanger the public health.
1t has been found that refners have
resurted to the u-e of chemical poisons
for the purpose of raising the grade OF
inferior sugars, and in the light of re-
cent events Ii is safe to say that these
practices have resulted largely in the
production of disease. This pernicious
practice of adulteration was introduced
about six years ago, and one OF the
most deleteriOus substances employed
is the muriate of tin, an Irritant poison,
which destroys the coating Of the
stomach and generates fatal diseases
of kidneys. Experts state that the
effect of its use in refining sugar Is to
! improve the color and to cheaper the
cost of whitening from one>fOurth to
one half cent pound, according to the
quality of the raw material.
The theory of the retiners Is that the
chemicals which fail to neutraliZeI
enter into the sugar in such minute
quantities that they cannot do any
harm. The analyses, however, show
an entirely different result, and
chemists and physicians declare that
the poisonous compounds in these
sugars will destroy the coating
of the stomach, as they are
known to be powerful enough to eat
tho onnnor of fho Voc, n mana
Corn glucose is extensively used as
an adulterant, and aside from the fact
that its presence in sugar eliminates
from the latter its nutritive properties
In exact proportion to the quantity
used, it is excessively hurtful to the
kidneys, and its use is highly repre-
hensible.
The New York Tribune states tnat
addition to glucos muriatic acid and
Tin, copper has been found In the
samples examined. The presence of
ton that the acid was applied In such
strength that it had corrOd0d the cop
per vessels used in manufacture. The
quantity Ofcopper in one instance was
80 large that 1t had overcome the tin,
WHICH IL ndU DIOuAcus Ootu PICS tudS
have been analyzed, and even those
partially tested, have shown the
presence of these foreign substances.
The percentage developed by the an
alyses cannot now be accurately ill.,
dicated, but the degree of adulteratiOn
Is of slight importance so long as it is
sufficient to seriously injure the health
of consumers.
Glucose and muriate of tin have
been discovered in large quantities in
all grades of sugars, and physicians are
agreed that the large increase In theI !
number of cases of diabetes and kindred
diseases is mainly attributable to the
secret and deadly processes in use by
the sugar retiners OF the country. 1t is
estimated by old retiners that these
sdulterations yield profit to retiners
engaged in them of nearly four cents s
pound. In 1875 the exports of sugar i
were reported at 81, ,243.0OO pounds, d
and in 1877 they were 50, 400 600, upon s
which 1t Is estimated that the profits of
the adulteratiOns to retiners would {
amount to 3,4l6, 900 on exports alone
the export business being estimated
as only Is per cent. Of the entire re- {
fining of sugars, and in these enormous 8
profits lies the sll-sufficient motive for '
the practices Of the refners. /