The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-09-17
Boston Daily Advertiser

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 wall papers
that beautify our houses, in the colored papers
and toys which are the playthings of our
children In the fierce competition of trade
these dangerous and cheaper articles are
gradually driving the safer and more expen-
sive 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 SO were found to be adul-
terated.
ADULTERATIoNs IN GROCERIES,.
In the 1874 report of the Massachusetts
State board of health many of these adulter-
ations are given, some very dangerous. In
the Grocers Manual, book recently pre-
pared expressly for the use of grocers. 1 find
many named, some of which / will give.
For instance, cream of tartar, seldom found
in the shops over 30 per cent pure, the bal
ance being terra alba, or white earth IA dan
gerous article tending to produce kidney
complaints and various diseases of the stom-
achj, and various other adulterants. Cay
enne pepper debased with red ochrc. CHINA
bar, vermillion and sulphuret of mercury;
and usually the color preserved by red lead
and Venetian red; chcory, dangerously adul-
terated In cocoa, red lead, ochre and yer
million to color, and sulphate OF carbonate
of lime to give weight. Pea flour, 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,
yellows by chromate of lead. gamboge, tur-
meric and Naples yellow; blues by litmus,
indigo, Prussian blue, carbonate of copper,
etc.; greens by acetate of copper, arsenate of
copper, emerald green, Schules green and
Brunswick green, ETC.; terra alba chalk, ETC.,
being used to e i've weight.
Curry powder is made with lead and mer-
curry Out of 10 pounds of pure honey is
made a hundred of tine-looking compound
some of the samples of which will turn tea
inky black. Liquors and wines. as a rule,
manufactured from cheap runs and whiskys,
very little pure liquors being now sold. Sui
phuric acid ,oil of vitrol) used in making
port wine; also in making sherry wine, also
pale malt also in making Madeira wines.
Milk debased with water -four, starch, gum,
turmeric, chalk, sugar. carbonate of soda,
and cerebral matter. Cream made by the
use of gums. Mustard seldom sold pure in
the shops land, / would add, often poisonous
Olive oil falsified by oil from hemp, cotton,
rape, peanut and mustard seed. Pickles made
green with acetate of copper, a deadly poison.
II would add that all bright green pickles
are said to be poisonous.) Preserved meats
are colored with ochre and red lead Bottles
bearing the brands of well-known sauces, as
Worcestershire etc., are filled with stuff
bought by the gallon and favored with dan
gerous chemicals. Soaps are made with
poisonous coloring matters which produce
diseases of the skin. Teas are colored and
doctored with arsenate of copper, verdigris,
mineral green Prussian blue, tale, clay, soap
stone and variety of other articles. This
coloring process is carried on largely
in New York and Philadelphia
The Japan teas are about as bad rs the Chi
nese. Tobacco is made out of leaves of 9TH
er plants, to which are added, in cigars and
snuff, chromate of lead, oxide of lead and
other articles. Vinegar is made from pre-
parations of lead, copper, and sulphuric acid,
foil of vitrol). l would add that it is assert
ed upon what seems to be reliable authority
that probably half the vinegar sold in our
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-
ect these articles
In regard to teas. / have the most con-
elusive evidence, that while they are usually
adulterated before they reach this country.
still they are largely adulterated and poison
ed here; a friend of mine, partner in one of
Al. L
and one of whose partners has resided sever
al years in China, said to me, 81 will not
drink, nor will any member of my firm
drink anything but the natural uncolored
teas, nor would l advise any other man to
do it, but we find it difficult to sell them.
Public taste demand teas colored and faced,
which 1 consider more or less poisonous, and
some of them contain prussic acid"
l would add that the danger of adultera-
ted teas in this country has recently much
increased, because they are now shut out from
England. sfa
In regard to coffee, not only is the ground
article adulterated, but machines have been
invented and used in this country to mold
authorizations into the form of coffee berries
1t is frequently adulterated with chicory.
which itself adulterated with articles more
dangerous.
Now take sugars and syrups. The whole
value of glucose imported into the United
States in 1875 was 81, 1852; its importation in
1877, two years later, amounted TO 1926, 800
in addition to which vast quantities are now
manufactured in the United States. This
glucose is made by boiling corn starch with
suiphuric acid foil of vitriol). and then mix
ing 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 it is called grape
sugar, though no grapes are used in its manu-
facture.
Dr. r. c. Kedzie, president of the Michi-
gan State board of health and professor Of
chemistry in the Michigan State Agricultural
College, analysed II specimens Of common
table syrups and found Is of them made Of
glucose; one of the Is contained l41 grains
Of oil of vitriol and 724 grains o.