Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-02-18
means of the gymnasium and general
athletic sports. Adjourned to 7:3O.
Eveni7eQ Session.

The concluding session of the council was
held in the supreme court room at the capitol
last evening.
The meeting was called to order by Bishop
Ireland, who announced that Prof. Dodge of the
State university, would deliver an address on
the adulteration of food
In taking the floor Prof Dodge stated that
he would try to interest the audience by Civ
ing few experiments with the aid of micro
scopic investigation, taking as subjects few
of the simpler articles OF food.
He then called attention to the frequent
adulteration of sugars, giving a chemical an
glucose, which is the most frequent article
substituted for sugar, was made from sui
phuric acid; an experiment was given with
sugar solution, which was poured into a
vessel containing blue vitriol acid, this test be-
ing made to ascertain the amount of glucose
in given quantity of brown sugar. The lee
turer then explained the mode of differentiat-
ing, or the manner of testing the true from
the false; it was shown that granulated sugar
was the least susceptible to admiration, and
the safest to buy.
In reply to question the speaker said he
had not been in the State long enough to give
the relative merits of sugar and strip from
amber cane as compared with the productions
of the South. Turning his attention to the
subject of vinegar he stated that the test was
molic acid; the adulteration was generally
made with sulphuric acid. An illustration
was given, showing precipitate OF sulphuric
acid of one part in two hundred.
The lecturer then called attention to the
adulteration of baking powder; he stated that
alum was the most Objectionable feature in
impure baking powder; to detect the alum 1t
was simply necessary to ignite it, and precipi-
tate the residue in aqua ammonia; the result
was light-colored or chalky solution. Tar
taric acid and bi-carbonate of soda were re-
garded as the legitimate constituents of baking
powder.
Speaking of coffee, the lecturer said it was
adulterated with chickory, peas and other ber-
ries. The spurious stuff was tested by pull
verizing the berry and putting it in cold water.
If bad the particles subside and color is i'm
parted to the water, which does not occur with
the pure articles. The speaker commended
the microscopic test as the best means of de-
tecting the adulteration.
Mr.. d. R. Noyes spoke of the prevalence of
butter coloring, which he said was carried on
to great extent.
DR.. Hewitt said that water and air were
never pure in chemical sense; it was essential
that water should contain no salts; air and
water were both essential elements of food;
water contained combination, without which
food would be indigestable. The most minute
microscopic investigation failed to show the
germs which originate disease; they were
beyond the reach of ordinary instruments.
Pure water was known by the amount of
salt it contained. If clorine was found it was
sure Indication of sewerage in the water.
The test was made with nitrate of silver. Be-
tween 200 and 800 tests had been made of the
water of Minnesota, which had been found to
contain but very little salt. In this State salt
could only enter the water from the domestic
sewerage.
Typhoid fever was frequently conveyed to
the body through milk; while nature allowed
the production of these poisOns she was con-
stantly engaged in their destruction; in all
cases the agency was oxygen, or oXygenation
or the burning of the poison, by means of
which organic changes were always taking
place
The speaker Justly condemned the practice
of Minneapolis in ignoring the water supply
of the lower towns by emptying her sewerage
into the river. Allusion was then made to
the prevalence of sewer gas as an agency op-
posed to health, and the necessity was urged OF
keeping organic impurities away from the
house; filth of all kinds should be absolutely
excluded.
Those present were accorded an opportunity
to inspect the samples of water and hospital
dust on exhibition, which, under the lens,
presented very much the hideous appearance
of soap grease.
Bishop Ireland alluded to the great interest
manifested in the sessions, the valuable infor-
nation derived, and to the stimulus given to
hygenic studies
The speaker hoped that st. Paul would give
the example in the establishment of sanitary
bureau, to be followed by similar institutions
throughout the State. Adjourned.