The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-09-19
ADULTERATED FOODS.
Some Astonishing Statements by Prof. An
CELL.


Some Astonishing Statements by Prof An
CELL.
At the recent meeting of the Social
Science Association, at Saratoga, N. Y,
paper was read by George L. Angel,
of Boston, on the Manufacture and
Sale of Poisonous and Dangerously
Adulterated Articles" in which there
are many statements calculated to as
tonish even the most careless and in
different. We reproduce some ex-
tracts from Mr.. Angels highly inter
esting essay:
The common and wide sale in American
markets of poisonous and adulterated articles
which endanger the health and lives of those
who use them is fact established beyond all
possibility of honest denial They are found
in our food, our drink our clothing; in the
cooking utensils used in our kitchens, in The
pipes that carry our water, in the carpets and
Wallpapers that beautify our houses, in the
colored papers and toys which are the play
things of our children. In the fierce competi-
ton of trade the dangerous and cheaper arti-
Giles are gradually driving the safer and more
expensive out of our markets. And this
process seems likely to go on and increase
without limit. unless organized action shall be
taken to stop their manufacture and SALE Take
our groceries, for instance. In the report OF
the Canadian Commissioner Of Inland Revenue,
published in 1877, it appears that out OF $50
articles analysed ninety-three were found to be
adulterated
In the 1874 report of the Massachusetts, State
Board of Health many OF these authorizations
are given, some dangerous. In the Grocer's
Manual, a book recently prepared expressly
for the use of grocers, / find many named,
some Of which will give. For instance, cream
of tartar, seldom found in the shops over 30 per
cent pure, the balance being terra alba, or
white earth IA dangerous article tending to pro-
duce kidney complaints and various diseases OF
the stomach), and various other adulterants.
Cayanne pepper, debased with red ochre Gin
nabar, vermilon, and sulphuret of mercury,
and usually the color preserved by red lead and
Venetian red chicory, dangerously adulter-
ated. In cocoa, red lead, ochre, red vermilion
to color, and sui phate or carbonate of lime to
give weight. Pea dour, colored with Venetian
red, used TO adulterate coffee Essence of coffee
is made of various articles which color the cups
of our cheap restaurants. In confectionery,
reds and pinks are produced by cochineal, red
lead, and bichromate of lead: yellow by chro-
mate of lead, gamboge, turmeric, and Naples
yellow; blues by litmus, indigo, Prussian blue,
carbonate of copper, etc. +; green's by acetate
of copper, arsenate of "copper" emerald green,
Schules green, Brunswick green, ETC., terra
alba, chalk, ETC., being used TO give weight.
Curry powder is made with lead and mer-
curry. Out OF ten pounds of pure honey is
some of the samples Of which will turn tea
inky black. Liquors and wines, as rule,
manufactured from cheap runs and WHISTLES,
very little pure liquors being now sold, Sui
phuric acid (oIl of vitrioD, used in making port
wine, also in making sherry wine, also malt
ale, also in making Madeira wines Milk, de-
based with water, flour, starch, gum, turme-
ric, chalk, sugar, carbonate OF soda and cere-
bral matter. Cream made by the use Of gums.
Mustard, seldom sold pure in the shops land,
III Ax.l1 ID ia oil oil
siied by oil from hemp, cotton, rape, peanut
and mustard seed Pickles made green with
acetate of copper, a deadly poison. Il would
add that all bright-green pickles are said to be
poisonous.) Preserved meats are colored with
ochre and red lead. Bottles bearing the
BANDS of well-known sauces, as Worcester
shire, ETC.. are filled with stuff bought by the
gallon and favored with dangerous chemicals.
Soaps are made with poisonous coloring mat
tiers which produce diseases of the skin. Teas
are doctored and colored with arsenate OF cop
per, verdigris, mineral green, Prussian blue,
tale, clay, soapstone and a variety Of other
articles. This coloring process is carried on
largely in New York and Philadelphia. The
Japan teas are about as bad as the Chinese.
Tobacco liz made out of the leaves of other
plants, to which are added, in cigars and
snuff, chromate of lead, oxide of lead and other
articles Vinegar is made from preparations
of lead, copper and sulphuric acid Toll of Wit
riol) II would add that it is asserted upon
what seems to be pretty reliable authority that
probably half the vinegar sold in our cities is
rank poison
These are only few Of the authorizations
stated and referred to in this book which is
written for, and in the interest of grocers
and giving the methods by which they can de-
tect these articles.
In regard to teas. l have the most con-
elusive evidence that, while they are usually
adulterated before they reach this country,
still they are largely adulterated and poisoned
here; friend OF mine, partner in one of the
largest importing tea-houses in Boston, and
one of whose partners has resided several
years in China, said to me, II will not drink,
nor will any member of my firm drink any
thing but the natural uncolored teas, nor
would advise any other man to do it, but we
find it difficult 20 sell them Public taste de-
mands teas colored and faced, which l con-
slider more or less poisonous, and some of
them contain prussic acid"
/ would add that the danger of aduiterated
teas III this country has recently much in
creased, because they are now shut out from
England.
In regard to coffee, not only is the ground
article adulterated, but machines have been in
vented and used in this country to mold adul-
terations into the form Of coffee-b berries
1t is frequently adulterated with chicory,
which is itself adultered with articles more
dangerous.
Now take sugars and sirups. The whole
value OF glucose imported INTO tile united
States in 1875 was s., 352; it's importation in
1877, two years later, amounted to S233, 800, in
addition TO which vast quantities are now manu-
featured in the United States This glucose is
made by boiling corn starch with sulphuric
acid (oil of vitrioD, and then mixing it with
lime; the glucose almost always retains more
or less of the sulphuric acid, and sometimes
copperas, sulphate Of lime, etc. To make it
more salable tits called grape" sugar, though
no grapes are used in its manufacture.
DIR. X. c. Kcdzie. President of the Michigan
State Board of Health and Professor of Chem
istry in the Michigan State Agricultural Col
lege, analysed seventeen specimens of common
table sirups, and found fifteen of them made
Of glucose; one of the fifteen contained 141
grains of oil of vitriol and 724 grains of lime to
the gallon, and another, which had caused
serious sickness in whole family, seventy-two
grains of oil of vitriol twenty eight of sulphate
of iron (copperas), and 1868 grains of lime to the
gallon. l have evidence that glucose is used
largely not only to adulterate cane sugars and
sirups, but also maple sugar candies, iellies,
honey, etc, and that it is supposed that Brights
disease of the kidneys is one of the results of
its increased use, 1t appears also from Prof.
Kedzie's report that cheap sugars sold in Mich
igan are generally adulterated, and that poison
Gus articles are used TO color them.
have much evidence that large portion of
the sugars sold in New York city contain not
E,,to al