The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1881-03-10
Death In the Pot.

Jle oIit authorizing the ffealQent TO 0p
point Commission TO examine into ant
report upon the adulteration Of foud anc
other articles in the United States, de
clare after careful investigation that "tht
adulteratiou Of articles used in the ever,
day diet of vast numbers Of people hal
grown TO and is now practiced u aucl ar
extent aa to seriously endanger the pub
lie health and to call loudly for some sor
of Legislative correction" The Commit
tee recommend tile appointment of {
Commissioner ito make thorough ant
minute examination of the entire subject
aided by the necessary scientific appli
ences." A valuable paper read before The
Boston Board of Trade by Mr. George T
Angel inappended to the report, in which
10 partially set forth the enormous trade
in poison0usly adulterated foods aud
other articles in the American markets
The extent to which the adulters.
ti0n of articles of food IL carried on is alb.
aolutely appalling; so that Prof. George
A. Mariner, Of Chicago. one Of the m0at
eminent analytical chemists in the Uni.
ted States, is constrained to say, II have
come to expect adulteration, and to fear
dangerous adulterati0n, in almost every
article of the grocery kind" From the
bread on our tables 10 the paper ON ou,
walls, everything is adulterated, and dis.
ease and death lurk i'm every corner. Ol
fourteen different brands of sugar subjec.
ted to chemical analysis iu Chicago
twelve eamples were found to contain
chloride of tin, Oh active poison. Sever
81 Syyups made of glucose were found to
contain chlorides Of tin, calcium, iron
and magnesia, in quantities which made
them very poisonous. The vinegar gen.
orally sold in the markets is unfi, for use
and dangerous. Sulphuric acid is largely
used in its manufacture. It was stated
by the Scientific american, sometime
since. that probably one.half of the vine
gar sold in New York city groceries was
rank poison. In making green pickles
verdegris is used. and in making yellow
pickles sugar Of lead ID used, both ol
which substances are rank poison.
An eminent chemist who has given
the subject great deal of attention re-
ports the following gadulteratons. Bread
with alum and sui lpbate of copper; yeast
with alum; baking powder, with alum,
terra alba, plaster of paris, whiting and
kaolin; milk, with u variety of articles
cheese, with potatoes. beans. olcomarga.
rine, vermiliion, red chalk, sulphate OF
copper, arsenic and corrosive sublimate
lard, with boiled starch. alum and quick.
lime; confectionery, with chromute OF
lead, red lead. vermillion, prussian blue
copper. arsenic; pickles, with sulphurC
acid and verdegris; mustard, with yellow
ochre and chromate of lead; vinegar
with sulphuric acid, arsenic and corrosive
sublimate coffee, with roasted acorns
spent tanbark, lngwood. mahogany, saw.
dust and burned liver of horses; teas
| nit IN
now manufactured from "dead hog grease
treated with alum" lettuce, cabbage
and potatoes are poisoned with paris green
canned fruit contains tin and lead pois.
oning. and the "tinwares in the murke,
are unfit for use" because they contain
an alloy with lead which is rendily acted
upon by acids, thus producing lead pois
oning.
The manufacture oe glucose !.as growr
to colossal proportions in this connir.
during the last few years, and there are
now ten factories in the United States
} running night and day, and producing
more than 00,000,000 pounds year
Eleven other factories are being built
which will increase the capacity of pro
duction to 500, ,00U. 900 pounds year, ol
ten pounds each for every man, woman
and child in this country. Glucose is +
cheap substitute for sugar, and is sold in
immense quantities to sugar refi.'ars
Seven. eighths of all the sugars and syr
ups sold in Chicago are adullerated with
} it. II has only from one-f -fnurtht to two -afths
oflhe sweetening power of sugar, and i,
made in Germany OF rugs, aud in the
United States by bailing corn starch in
diluted sulphu.;c ccid-cil Of vi,riol
Dr.. Kedzie, of the Michigan Board oil
Health, found in one sa,nple of glucnae
syrup l4l grains of oil Of vitriol and 72a
grains of lime to the gallon, Gnd in an.
other which had camed serious sickness
in whole family, " grains of oil of vi
triol, % grains of copperas, 1853 grains oil
lime to the gallon.
Il The manufacture Of Oleomargarine he:
also grown into giant proportions during
the last few years, aud one hundred mil
lion pounds Of it were nude last year
II is manufactured out of the fat of AMI
mails and liz very poor apology for butter
All kinds of fiat are used, and Mr
Michels of New York City, well known
microscopic and editor of a scientific
journal, testifies that "Olaomargarine /,
simply uncooked, raw fat, never subjected
TO sufficient heat to kill parasites whict
are liable to be in ii; that those who ca
1t run the risk of trichine from the stoul
achs OF animals which are chopped uy
with the fat in making it," DR.. Georg,
b. Hartman, most respectable micro
ecopist OF Boston, has recently examined
some twenty specimens Of Oleomargarin.
obtained from different dealers, and ha,
found every specimen more or less ioreigl
substances, variety of animal and vege
table Lille. Among these were corpuscie.
from cockroach. and small bits of claws
the bloud c0rpuscles of sheen; the egg,
; or tape.wOrm. Yeast was found sprout
ing III considerable quantities, and spurei
or fungi were very prevalent, portion O
worm, dead hydra viridis portin:
of muscular tibres, fatty cells, and egg
from come small parasite were among IL.
discoveries. The scientific men admit
J that pure article of Oleomargarint
that would not be unwhulesome nigh
DE made in n chemists labratory, but ga,
, that the Oleomargariue known TO tht
trade 10 full Of the germs of disease ant
Is dangerous tD human life.
The adulteration of drugs with poison
: ous subs:s noes and the use of arsenic il
the manufacture of wall papers, cIothin,
and ornamental articles is carried On 4
fearful extent. During 1874 2,327, IA.
pounds of arsenic, each pound contains
ing a fatal dose for abuut 2. 800 adults, wer,
imported into this country, and it Is sole
with as little restriction almost as woot
and coal ut q wholeabls price Of from
one and half TO two cents pound.
But the enumeration Of aduIterated arti
! cles might be almostindefnilely extended
/ Nearly everything we eat, drink and sc,
, | ia chenDenad hv tha Y,,a n q, far,nrara ~,