Morning journal and courier., 1882-07-03
9uurnai arro Gonrier.
Monnay Morning, July 3. 1882.
A Serious Micro <co pic Blunder.


 To the Editor Of Medical News
 Deaf~-sir My attention has just been called to paper on Cereal Foods under the Microscope v etc by Epnrain Gutter. A. N., M. D., which appeared in Gai1Iard's Medica1 Journal for January, 1882, and has since been extensively republished As the whole basis of the essay is unfortunate error, which does serious injustice to the cause of true science, and one which any hygienist, who IS also 8 microscopist, ought to quickly | detect, 1t is strange that the statements made 1 by pr. Cutter have not been criticised before 1 this time with the severity they deserve. Dr. Gutter asserts that the opaque. oval, or rounded cells (const ituting the fourth coat of the wheat grain, according to Prof. Parkes) afford most of the gluten ,and hence on their presence the chief strength of the food de- ponds. He therefore declares that large | number (fourteen) of the food stuffs he ex 1 amined, and found under his microscope to display none of these socalled "gluten l cells, " ''contain no gluten" (page 9, and 1 broadly intimates that they are consequently 1 frauds upon the public. But the fact is l these so-caled gluten cells'' (denominated | by Payen, oteiferes) probably include in their substance starch, phcsphates, fatty matters, and coloring materials, containing only part, perhaps but small part, less than one- seventh, of the gluten which exists in wheat. Thus Pel1got, as mean of fourteen analyses, gives the percentage of gluten in flour (whence 'gluten cells'' are removed) at 12 8,
 
 gluten cells'O it is only 1O.S4, and other observers confirm his statements.
 If my friend, Dr. Gutter, any of his disciples, would like to satisy himself that he has made a lamentable mistake in this matter, let him take say ten grammes of one of the fine Hours he asserts ''contain no gluten" mix it with water into dough, let it stand for half an hour, and then stir it in po1 ce lain capsule, with successive portions of water, until the starch is washed away, and | the a6heSIva fihri1Jate6 ey1I1faT Jaft pure, in the proportion, after drying, of from seven to twelve per cent. (Vide Parkes Practical Hygiene, fifth edition, 1878, p. 224. ) The small starch corpuscles and granules, left by this process entangled among the threads of gluten, can be beautifully diferen- tiated by adding 8 drop of iodine solution, which affords the usual deep blue reaction with the starch but dyes the gluten flaments of ye1lowish brown tint.
 | As additlos al evidence, let Dr. Cutter sep arate the gluten in this way from sample of whole wheat flour, and then, examining under his microscope one of the bran parti- cles which are deposited with the tarch from the water used in washing the glutinous mass, he can enjoy looking with one eye at his hypothetical gluten cells, and with his other ey at the 7e0l gluten, prepared from the same identical sample, by the method long known to sanitary scientists, and of which the masticatlng process, used as & test for ! wheat by millers, and even by farm boys all over the country, is but a homely modified | tion.
 These little experiments will also be very interesting ones to manufacturers of the | flood stuffs'' pr. Cutter so ruthkessly con- demns, especially if the consciences of these gentlemen have been tormenting them for practising frauds upon the community!
 1 have ln preparation paper giving the results of a more complete investigation ot this entire subject, which propose to lay be- fore your readers at early day, if it proves to be of sufficient importance.
 Very respe tfully yours, etc.,
 Jos G. RICHARDSON, M D., Professor of hygiene and demonstrator oi histology in the University of Pennsylva mia
 | Philadelphia, June It, 1882. 3 With respect to Graham -four, so-called and it's value article of diet are per mitted to publish the following from H. C. Cole & Co.,, millers and bankers, Chester Ills
 MT. Edward Heaton, New Haven, Conn.
 Dear Sir-Your esteemed favor of the 2Oth - 1 together with the sample of flour, at hand :. As near can determine the four is ship stuff and low grade four mixed. By boltins - it through No. 10 cloth it produces fou1 | between X and XIX, St. Louis standard the balance is ship stuff, 'spure.and undefled, s with few sharp middlings mixed with it tt D give it grit.
 " Any Graham flour, made of the whole pro d duct of good wheat, if bolted through fin, l SAotAs o0y 4<o. 1A Oo Aos WILL PhouoSO c AAS white flour but if mixture of low grad Il -four and feed. the result will be as before aaixed loao g7ade and feed. Much Graham i s, made in this way, and many mills get rid O t their low grade in this manner.
 The theory of securing the wheat is cor . rect, and all good mills do it. and have fo d years. .--|- ~-~~ e We have always maintained that the opin e ion of many that Graham four is mor' |. healthful than any other good sound fl four l TOf Saund from tha faof that if F. well known to all millers that Graham flou " is four with all the aoood and dirt in it, which with little four still remaining mixed witl F. it, makes good food for cattle but it is no d fit to go into human stomach. What us there is in mans eating dirt and trying tt convince himself that it is healthful coult d never see If people who eat so- called Graham ;se could go through any good mill and see wha they eat, we think they would take thei bread, like their whiskey, staaigAt. Id Awaiting your further favors, we remain 10 yours truly, H. c. COLE & Go.