The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-21
Fruit FlayOrings.

sion, is to preserve the fruits of the
garden and the orchard, so that they
may be used when the natural fruit,
are no longer in season. We want moi
only the pulp of the fruit preserved, SC
that we can eat it III the form of con
serves, sweetmeats, pies, tarts, pud
dings, merengues and other pastrie;
and entrements; but for many culinary
and confectionery purposes, we require
the essences of these fruits to flavor cor
fects, bon-bons, creams, ices; also var.
Gus drinks, beverages and cordials; no.
only for the well, but what is of muCl
more Importance, for the weak,sse..
feverish and sick.
Now, what the honest confecpner
tries to preserve, the dishonest cEmlS1
endeavors to displace and supersde by
other and cheaper substitute lie
compounds spurious fruit esences,
which cost less than the realartlcles,
and which are yet so like thegenuine
originals that the unsophistiated and
unsuspecting who use them annot tell
the difference. Thousands Of house
wives, pastry cooks and cafectioners
are now using, ignorantly and lnno-
Gently, cooking extracts, ;" fruit ex-
tracts and fruit esseres," which
contain nothing of the fruit whose
name they bear, nor anyhing of any
fruit whatever. They re chemical
fabrications of the labcatory, which
are sold and used as subitutes for the
natural outgrowths of tb earth. Men,
women and children &c daily using
what they honestly belize to be inno-
cent and healthy predicts of natural
fruits, but which not oly contains no
fruit, but are made upf fictitious sub
stitutes which are ijurious to the
stomach and the generl health.
If | am asked "Do rou mean to say
that men gather grapesof thornS, or figs
of thistles?" | answer that what | wish
to be understood IS sa-ing is, that men
do literally gather grapes of what is
w0rSe than thorn;; andthat they gather
figs of what is worse than histjeS! | am
well aware that this was some time a
paradox; but chemical research and
ingenuity have reduced it to a very
commonplace md every day occur
renee. Modern chemistry has made,
and is now making, by the cartload and
the ton, pineapple essences without any
pineapple, strawberry essences without
any strawberry, Raspberry essences
without any raspberry, md so on
through a long list of the toicest and
most highly admired fruits. Forl1,4lgs
are framed and sold and flowed out,
not only by retail but bv Wholesale, in
quantities beyond compilation, by
which "pure fruit extracts" are made
without the slightest vestige of the
original fruit itself.
The conscientious chemist is an hon
or and a benetactOr to his race. but the
chemical manipulation who experiments
and compounds with the view solely to
make money, at the expense of the
health of men and women. deserves to
be singled out as an object of public
condemnation and reproach. As the
result OF patienc, as great as those who
sought for the Philosophers stone. and
Others who eXpermented for the elixir
OF life, modern CHEMISTS have discover
ed that they can simulate the taste and
fragrance of many berries and fruits.
How the discovery happened to be
made, or how many experiments it cost.
| do not know; but certainly was at
last found out that several compound
others possess both the odor and the
flavor of certain fruits. These ficti
tlous essences can be nude much cheap
er than the genuine. And hence it
comes to pass that ni1e-tenths of all
fruit essences which are used for flavor
ing, in cooking and confectionery. in
stead of being innocent md healthful.
are spurious and hurtful. Bv treating
certain animal fats with potash and
acid, these labontorv experts
produce certain other ACIDS. Out of
these last acids are distilled certain
others, which others being irtermngled
and compounded in certain PROPORTIONS
and then colored with coclineal and
various aniline dyes, are mde to re-
semble in color, flavor and ode certain
berries of the field and fruit of the
garden.
The basis of these fictitious init es-
Sences are these ETHEREAL compClndS or
organic acids, with the oxides Of ethyl
and amyl. Ether, in its common and
ordinary form, is known to the evebv
nearly every intelligent person. This,
IN more scientific phrase, is oxide of
ethyl. Amylic ether is the OXIDE of
amyl. Each of these others possesses
Us basic properties, and has its alcohol.
common, or ethylic ether, corresnonds
20 common or ethylic alcohol Amylic
ether corresponds to what is known as
usil oil. More than forty wears AGO
,hese fusil oils were publicly advertised
n the papers of New York CITY as one
If the main ingredients for NJ otinC
5rape-juice wine out of rye and corn
uice whisky. The price of these rec
pes were stated in these advertisements.
t would seem that, beginning with tbe
uice of the grape, these laboratory
nanipulators transferred their magic
o the sophistication of otbar frnit
uices as well.
1t is laid down in the books that bu-
yrate ether is prepared by MIXING one
iundred parts of butyric acid wifi one
undred parts of alcohol and ffty parts
+ concentrated sulphuric aci3 and
gltating the mixture for a short time.
his butyric ether is very valuable in
lcohol, and is said TO be much used TO
communicate a fine apple flavor TO rum.
'utyrlc ether dissolved in eight or ten
arts OF alcohol begins the essence of
ineapple, From twenty to twenty-five