The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-07-17
Death in Canned Food.


Cases of serious illness from eating
canned food, not reported in the daily
press. are more common than is sup
posed. Meat, corn, fruit, fish, put up in
cans have each occasionally prostrated
members of families in the habit of
using the food thus conveniently sup
piled, especially in warm weather when
the discomfort of prolonged cooking pro-
cesses in the kitchen is more particularly
experienced. Air may sometimes be,
and doubtless Is, imprisoned in the cans.
but it is not probable that it is to the bad
quality of the food or to the delcterious
presence of gases caused by fermentation
that the illness On death of persons eating
preserved food is for the most part TO be
ascribed. Those who can articles of
diet have little or no interest whatever
in disposing of diseased or decayed ma
terial in that way. They can get fresh
and good meat or produce cheap, and
would not take the risk of poisoning
people for few miserable dollars know
ing that they would certainly soon de-
stroy their business, thus losing large
and steady incomes, besides the capital
invested in apparatus and buildings.
Accidentally cans may be prematurely
closed and poisonous gases produced.
Generally this may be detected by put
ting the cans in boiling water for some
time, and if the ends or sides show any
signs of bulging, both the cans and their
contents should be consigned to the re-
fuse box. If the cans are found thus to
he frequently detective, it will be well to
show samples of them to the health com.
missoners or similar officers, so that the
general public may ut least have the
advantage of knowing through official
publication the names of the manufac-
turers and vendors of such dangerous
goods. 1t should be stated that the man
ufacturers as rule take considerable
pains to test the cans thoroughly, SO to
have their goods uncontaminated by fer
mentation. They heat the cans before
offering them for sale, and not less than
from live to ten per cent. are rejected
because they show bulges when heated.
Poisonous properties of preserved food
are too commonly derived from the
materials of which the cans are made or
sealed. Ostensioly the cans are of timed
sheet iron, in reality they are of sheet
iron coated to a great extent by lead,
terneplate "as tits called in commerce,
and lead poisoning follows the eating of
food stored up in receptacles of this
kind. There is some difference in the
price of properly timed iron and terne-
plate, sufficient in close competition to
tempt the adoption of the latter by un-
scrupulous persons. The solder must be
an alloy which is iusible at a low tenn
perature, and ing.edients are occasion
ally added of highly poisonous nature.
Some years ago there was Il solder sub
mitted to one of our learned societies,
which was said tocontain a considerable
quantity of mercury. Terneplate may
be distinguished from tin plate by its
dull color and by its heing easily
scratched by the finger nail. A solu-
ton of sulphide of potassium will also
more readily blaeken terneplate than tin
plate.
1t will be matter of extreme regret
ifmeats and vegetables are not so care
fully treated and packed in cans that they
may remain sound and wholesome for
years. A great industry will be de-
stroyed at the very time it is beginning
to be duly appreciated over the whole
civilized world. Nothing should be left
undone to remove any just cause for pre-
.judice against canned food, and thi,
country, through II variety of circum
stances, is especially interested in the
prosperity of this industry. Yorl
| IIitheSS.