, 1879-02-09
lUR p0ISnNEnG

The old question of DISQUALIFICATION of foo,
has been revived agnin at the East, and ney
and startling results are being developed b,
the experts who arc giving their attention t,
/ the complaints that are made. Some O
these results VIC print elsewhere, and the,
| will prove very Interesting reading to thos.
| who have hitherto been in ignorance of thl
real character Of the food they are eating
! It is not vely pleasant mntter, and it car
hardly be called entertaining to any one tt
lenrn that he is breakfas ting, dining, ono
supping on poisons; butt is none the less
OF interest as furnishing suggestions for the
enactment Of stringent legislation, and an ef-
fort to enforce it.
Mr.. GEORGE T. ASGE11, of the A1assa.
chusetts Board of Health, contributes the
larger amount of the information which we
print, and he fortifies his information with
references that are unqnestionnble. He finds
TINT the weight and bulk of tea are increased
by the use Of mineral aud organic substances,
and TINT fictitious strength is given to it
BY the use Of vegetable substances. Scarcely
any green teas reach the consumer IN q pure
state, and many Of those which dc are
auu|teratcd in New. York. The green tens
are also converted into b1ack by chemical
treatment. Coffee is not only adulterated
with chiccory, but the chiccory itself is adul-
terated. Peas, beans, rye, and wheat are
also used, and the coffee cherry itself is imi-
tated artifcially. OF FIVE samples of coffee
aualyzed by Lin, three contained no coffee
at all, and the other two had only
q few grains to the pound Sugar
is adu'terated with terra alba. WHICH
costs only half cent per pound, and thou
sands of tons of it are ground up every year
for the use OF adulteration. Glucose, prod
uct derived from corn, wlsich is very inlu-
rious to the kidneys, is nlso used in great
quantities. Sirups contain large per cent of
1t, Tin is also precipitn!ed III sirups, and
low grades Of sngars ere bleached with
nuriate of tin. The glucose is made still
more abominabIe by boiling the coru-starch
from Which it is male with oil of yilriol, It
is corroborative of Mr.. ANGELES assertions
that Dr. TR1rE, an English analyst, has inst
published Il report thai the coffee uul cocoa
sold in the temperance teverns are COM
pounded iii the same manner, aud that there
was not 10 per cent Of the pure article iu any
OF the samples which ho aunlyzed. All sorts
OF vlllainous compounds are used in candies.
among them chromate Of lead, prussic
ac1a. mercury, arsenic, copper, tar
tar1c acid, and fusel oil. These are used
not only III tile coloring, but also to improve
their tnste. Nlr. ANGEL further shows tint
much OF our cheese is made OF skim-milk
mixed With oleomargarine oil; that milk is
made artifcielly; that cayenne pepper is
mixed with red lead, mustard with chromatc
OF iead, curry powder with red lead vine
gar With oil Of vitsiol aud that one-half The
F'negar sold il New York City Is rank poison.
re says that bright-green pickles get their
color from copper; that our -four is full OF
plaster OF Paris, -bone-dust, sand, clay, md
sha'k; that alum is an ingredient Of almost
avery variety Of baking powder; that all
'plces are impure; and even that the sooth-
ns-suups, ooush-sirups, pectorals. cholera |
medicines; and pain-killer5 which we take
or rellef from suffering are heavily adnlter- |
ted; that our very wallpapers are filed |
With arsenic enough to induce sickness in |
very household; aud that liquors of every !
description are poisoned.
MT. ANGEL is not alone in his testimonv t