The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-05
Authorizations In Articles OF Foo,l and
DRINK.

Editors IntellIscutsr.
From your recent publications Of
several articles bearing upon the existence
of authorizations in foods, take 1t fol
granted that you feel some interest on the
subject. Therefore desire to give your
readers the results Of few examinations
which have recently made Of various
articles OF food the samples Of which were
obtained in this city. Our scientific
journals, especially those devoted TO the
science OF chemistry, have lately been
publishing many interesting articles, from
all parts Of the country, relatingto this
very importantsubject. Many States have
laws preventing tho sales of adultoratcd
food, and officers whose duty It is to ex-
anime articles suspected to be unwhole.
some. l have the report Of several OF
these examiners, or as usually termed
State Chemists. One Of them, the assayer
Of liquors TO the commonwealth OF Mas.
saclhsetts gives very complete report,
and briefly states the result thus, 'Since
The date OF the last report ll2 samples OF
liquors from various cities and towns OF
tho commonwealth have been subjected 10
chemical examinations; OF this humble 276
or about o. per cent were found TO be of
good or fair quality, and $50 SAMPLES or
about IS per cent lTre found 10 Ge Of either Uerv
inferior or ordinary quality, or trCre stolrn %
Ie more or teas Gdtiltsratoi." Anot her
chemist OF the same State reports that
during the year 1870 there wcro over 90
samples OF adulterated milk seized BY the
milk inspector OF Lynn, Massachusetts,
and convictions were secured in nearly
every case"
There are writer's Of pretended scientific
attainments who claim that Il is an imposs.
Utility to obtain, at any price, either pure
liquors or many OF the articles used as
food. Such statements, think, come not
from candid searChers aftcrtruth and facts.
but from extremists who desire TO become
conspicuous by pretending to have made
some startling discovery. These seem too
much like inpulsive and hasty assertions
based upon exceedingly small data, and
not at all like mature conclusions b. ono
who has carefully and patiently observed
all the facts.
| have given considerable attention 10
tho subject Of adulterations in food, and
have recently made many examinations OF
various articles OF every day consumption
in order to determine what substances arc
most likely to contain authorizations, and
tho general character OF the materials used
for this purpose, The samples examined
have all boon obtained from this city and
have been selected from retail merchants,
in order that they might DO obtained as
near as possible in the same condition as
received by the consumer.
have kept no record OF the persons
from whom the samples were obtained, as
my only object was to determine The ID.
tual condition OF the various articles OF
food In general use, and not to give the
grocers cause to think ] was trying 10 in.
jure them BY examining their goods.
The retailer, US a rule, Is not RESPONSE.
bic for the poor articles he sells, as no
II from the jobber and usually
sells Il in the same condition. Think
there is seldom, II ever, any mixing
done by them. Their customers call for
cheap articles; the grocer who sells cheap.
est will attract buyers, regardless Of plr.