The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-05-22
Cheerful Revelations as to Food.

George L. Angel read Il paper recently before
the American Social Science Association at Bos-
ton ON = Public Health Associations, , in which
he made some startling assertions about the aduI-
t~eration of food. He said
Cayenne pepper is aduiterated with red lead,
mustard with chromate OF lead, curry powder with
red lead, vinegar with sulphuric acid, arsenic
and corrosive sublimate. 1t is stated that prob
ably half the vinegar now sold IN our cities is
rank poison. One of our Boston chemists ana
lyzed twelve packages of pickles, put up by
twelve different wholesale dealers, and found
copper in ten of them. Many of our Havoring
oils, syrups, jellies and preserved fruits contain
pOisons. The authorizations of tea aIe too numer-
Gus to mention. Coffee is not only adulterated,
but a patent has been taken out for molding
chicory into the form of coffee berries, and | am
told that clay Is now nodded, and perhaps
favored with an essence, to represent coffee.
Cocoa and chocolate are adulterGted with various
mineral substances.
Several mills in New England, and probably
many elsewhere, are now engaged grinding white
stone into fine powder for purposes of adultera-
ton. At some of these mills they grind three
grades-soda grade ,>sugar grade and flour grade.
1t sells for about half cent a pound. Flour has
been adulterated in England, and probably here,
with plaster of Paris. bone-dust. sand, clay chalk
and other articles. | am told that large quanti-
ties OF damaged and unwholesome grain are
ground in with flour, particularly with that
kind called Graham -four. Certainly hundreds,
and probably thousands of barrels Of . terra
alba, or white earth, are sold IN our cities every
year, to be mixed with sugars in confectionery
and other white substances. | am told by an
eminent physician that this tends to produce
stone, kidney complaints and various diseases of
the stomach. \ Boston chemist tells me that he
has found 10 per cent. OF terra alba in what was
sold rs cream of tartar, used for cooking. a
large New York house sells three grades of cream
Of tartar. y Boston chemist recently analysed Il
-..rl, - eI, Ho-e u-,Ia ,nI fond En 800 oon+
OF terra alba in that. Much Of our confectionery
contains 80 per cent. of terra alba. The color
ing matter OF confectionery frequently contains
lead, mercury, arsenic and copper. Baking
powders are widely sold which contain a large
percentage OF terra alba and alum.
1t is not water alone that is mixed with the
milk. Thousands of gallons, and probably hun
dreds of thousands. are sold in our cities which
have passed through large thus, or watts, in which
it has been mixed with various substances. Re-
ceipts for the mixture can be bought by new
milkmen from old on payment Of the required
sum. | am assured upon what believe 10 be
reliable authority, that thousands of gallons OF
so-callcd milk have been, ard probably are, sold
in this city, which do not contain one drop of
the genuine article. Large quantities Of the
meats Of animals more or less diseased are sold
in our markets. Cows in the neighbOrhOOd OF
large cities are fed upon material which pro-
duces a large flow of unwhoiesome milk. POul-
try are fed upon material which produces uu-
wholesome eggs. Meats and fish are made I'M
wholesome, frequently poisonous. by careless and
cruel methods of killing. a California chemist
recently Analysed many samples of whisky, pur-
chased at different places in San Francisco. lie
found them adulterated with ereosote, salts OF
copper, alum and other injurious substances.
He states it, in his published report, as his
opinion that there is hardly any pure whisky
sold in that city. \ gentlemen recently pur-
chased from n prominent Boston firm a cask OF
pure sherry wine for his wife. His wife grew
worse. He had the wine analysed, and found
that there was not a drop of the juice of the
grape in it. An eminent medical gentlemen OF
Boston said to me: The adulteration of drugs
in this country are abominable.' [ say that
laws should be enacted and enforced prohibiting
the manufacture and sale of these poisonous anc
dangerous articles under severe penalties, anC
compelling the manufacturers and sellers o
adulterated articles to tell buyers the precis'
character of the deliberations.
Minister Angel has been confirmed Commits
sioner to China. His instructions are being pre-
pared at the State Department, and it is expected
that he will take his departure for Pekin at al
early day. The two Commissioner will follow
as soon as CCngaess makes the necessary appro
p~riation for their compensation and expenses
NJ H. 49, 20 ho ~, ~ ahoIrt R0n