The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-07-28
Aerated Waters.

NJ houu tthu vi DoOiOS t"tC OAAAN~
mented with the familiar fountain
spouting forth various liquids with for
eign names. People drink the spark
ling liquids and then go home and hold
their hands across their abdomens and
sigh to think of the saccharine poison
they have swallowed, and wonder if q
.stomach-pump would relieve the in
ward contest that seems to be going on.
The business transacted in aerated
drinks in Chicago has grown to aston
ishing proportions within the past few
years, and it is estimated that there is
at present at least 50, 900, 900 invested in
the manufacture of these popular bev-
erages One large firm on the South
Side has half million invested and
does an annual business amounting to
as much as the capital invested. 1t is
estimated that during the summer sea-
son The sales of aerated waters amount
TO at least So, 900 per day, and that dur
ing the year at least S2,000,000 worth
of the sparkling fluid finds its way down
the threats of Chicago people. 1t is
well known that the active agent in the
production of these drinks is carbonic
acid gas, quick and fatal poison when
brought in contact with the lungs. 1t
lis this gas which is known to golfers as
the terrible fire-damp. 1t exists in all
mines of great depth, but being heavier
than the atmosphere, it is spread along
the bottom of mines infected with it in
ia body. fatal to all living things. In
Italy there is a grotto in one of the pict
ureSgue caves near Naples where this
fnrn1C 1auaf. oil tho HnnT. 70
several feet, and dogs and other ami
mails entering this grotto instantly per-
ish. This is the gas liberated in the
rotten, seething masses of corruption to
be found in various parts of the city,
and to thoroughly appreciate the gust
tstory delights of soda, ginger ale, and
any of the mineral waters one needs only
so get Whit of some putrid animal or
stand over an open sewer and inhale
the rising odors, for what he smells is
one and the same thing that he pours
into his stomach, with an addition of
water, usually unfiltered, and sugges-
tion of flavor, which in nine cases out
of ten is an imitation, with the chances
in favor of its being poisonous.
The three elements which make up
all aerated waters are water, gas and
flavor. Soda water, as it is usually
made, never contains an iota of soda.
All the soda drank in Chicago is manu-
featured by simply forcing carbolic acid
gas into water. In the very large ma
jority of cases this gas is made by run
ming vitriol from a generator into a res
,ervoir containing mafble-dust. The two
n s,fc nd
are formed-carbonic acid gas and
gypsum. The carbonic acid gas is then
passed through half a dozen reservoirs
filled with water for the purpose of
washing it free of poisonous properties,
(which are liable to remain in the gas.
After having been washed until it is
theoretically pure, the gas is thenready
20 be conducted into various reservoirs
filled with water, and soda, ginger ale,
Vichy, Kssingen, ETC., are made at the
same time in the same reservoir. OF
course che soda has to be favored and
labeled. The most important feature
in the manufacture of these drinks is
the flavoring and the labelling. Vichy
and the various mineral waters, how
ever, do not need to be favored much
as the gas destroys the taste of the water
to a great extent, and none but an eX-
pert can tell acroted Lake Michigan
water, in which certain salts have been
from the genuine Bethesda,
lcongreSS, or seller. 1t is even init
mated that the Chicago River water is
preferred by some dealers, as it is
thicker than lake water and requires
less coloring and flavoring to suit the
taste of the Jolly indulgers in the bowl
that foams and sparkles but does not
intoXicate.
Some of the Chicago dealers, how
lever, aliege that they use soda in the
production of the gas with which the
water is to be aerated. Their process is
to mix water and bi-carbonate of soda
in certain proportions in reservoir,
into which sulphuric acid is passed.
The result is carbonic acid gas and sui
phate of soda. The gas is then con-
Quoted in pipes, as in the process noted
before, TO reservoirs of water, which are
aerated and favored according as soda,
ale or mineral water is desired.
The cheap dealer gets his work in on
aerated waters principally in the flavor
ing. The various flaYors, such as pine
apple, lemon, vanilla, chocolate, rasp-
berry. blackberry, ETC., are duplicated
by compounds familiar to the chemist s
art, which, while possessing none of
the properties of the article counter
feited. resemble it in taste so nearly
that when diluted with carbonated
water the most delicate taste is de-
celved Raspberry is often counter
feited by a compound of sugar, water,
and poisonous ether. Vanilla is a
rarity, and its place is usually supplied
by an extract of the tonka bean. Black
berry is produced by uniting Orleans
sugar. water, and concentrated ex-
tract of boot-heel, or other odorous
substance. In fact, no department of
She science of chemistry has been so
prolific of practical results as recent
discoveries in the art of counterfeiting
vegetable flavors. The usual method
IL TO unite some mineral extract with
An ether. and the whole is thickened
with poor and dirty quality of sugar
Mead, q new drink manufactured from
glucose and water, has attracted some
attention, but it does not appear that
this drink. whose flavoring is of as
questionable quality as that of any of
she others, is destined to revolutionize
&he trade in popular drinks. 1t is con-
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