The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1879-10-02
Agricultural.
ApULTERAT1oN.

ALI 6EAA LAWN
Mr.. Angel, Of Massachusetts, is
investigating the adulteration of
food. He quotes from the "Gro>
GERS Manual" book prepared ex-
pressly to tell grOcers how to detect
the authorizations, TO show, for in
stance, that cream OF tartar is seldom
found over 80 per cent pure, the
rest being white earth, producing
painful kidney and stomach diseases.
Cayenne pepper is dehased with red
ochre, cinnabar, vermillion and sui,
phuret of mercury and usually COLI
or preserved by red lead and Vene~
tan red chicOry, dangerously adul.
terated. Cocoa and all prepared
coffees are colored with poisonous
substances, as well as ccunterfeited.
Confectionery is all colored with
poison and mixed with chalk and
earth. Teas are 'doctored' largely
with arseniate of copper, verdigris,
mineral green, Prussian blue, tale,
clay, soapstone, etc. and not only
in China, but by importers in New
York and Philadelphia. Dolly un>
colored teas are safe to drink. Mr..
Angel says he has the most conclu>
sive evidence as to this matter OF
tea. Pickles are apt to be made
with lead, copper and vitriOl vine
gar, for half the vinegar sold in the
cities is rank poison. Sugars and
syrups are made in the majority of
cases from glucose, or grape sugar,
which is made by boiling corn starch
with sulphuric acid (oil of vitriOD,
and then mixing it with lime. Prof.
Kedrie, of Michigan State Agricul-
tural College, analyz ed seventeen
specimens of table syrup, and found
fifteen of them made of glucose one
of the fifteen contained one hundred
and forty one grains of oil of vitriol
and seven hundred and twenty,four
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 three hundred and sixty-three
grains Of lime to the gallon. Mr..
Angel says this mischievous sub
stance is used to adulterato not only
cane but maple sugar and syrups,
also candies, jelIies and honey and
we MAJ add thai most light ales are
largely charged with it Mr.. Angel
has evidence that large portion of
the sugars sold 10 New York city
contain not only glucose, but muIiate
of tin, employed in bleaching them.
Baking powders are made produc-
tive of gripping, heartburn, constlpa,
ton and dyspepsia by tie use of
alum, which costs but five cents a
pound, instead of cream tartar, which
costs thirty. Baking powders are
almost never honest and wholesome.
10 connection with this subject Mr.
Angel adds that "mils in various
parts Of the United States are now
grinding thousands of tons of white
stone into fine powders, which sells
for about half a cent pound, and
that in some Of these mills they grind
three grades, called soda grade, su-
gar grade and -four grade"
Referring to the enormous amount
of arsenic annually imported into
the United States, considerably over
two millions of pounds, he indicates
what becomes of good deal of it.
He says it is used in wall papers,
wrapping papers fer confectionery,
children'S kindergarten papers, artl-
fetal flowers, tickets, cards, under
wear, dress goods, baby carriages,
and other articles.
There can be no doubt that thouN
sands of people in this couotry are
now suffering, and many have died,
from the effect of arsenical wall pa
pers.