The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1883-07-26
Fond Adult6ratiOn,

10 BRING Tue Ten commandments WV" w
date there should be added to the list OF
pro-. ibitions, Thou shalt not commit adul-
teration. A few years ago the centennial OF
the father of che mistry, in distinction from
alchemy, was celebrated with great eclat,
Int in view Of the uses to which 1t Is ap
piled in corrupting the most necessary
articles of use, the scieAce which can ana
I'VE and syntheize almost everything is OF
mixed, if not doubtful, benefit. Used con-
scientously, the retort and the cruclpie are
of very great advantage to mankind, bnt
when employed to STOW how things can De
80 compounded as to pass for what they are
not. good becomes an evil, and this per-
yerted use of chemistry has attained alarm
ing proportions.
chemistry has vast field where its opera
tions can be carried on without doing any
serious harm and producing vast aggre-
gate of good. If it would only let the
Stomach alone it might range at will the
whole boundless universe besides. Nature
10 the oniv safe compounder of food and
drink. The adulteration OF drinks has maze
the delirium rremens and developed kidney
disease into first-class fhalady, while the
almost universal dyspepsia OF the day Is
mainly due TO adulterated food. Not bar
i'm the land can boast absolutely. pure
LIQUORS, and if there Is a kitchen which es-
capes food adulteration 1t must be remote
from the channels OF commerce. Every
meal supplies its quota of poison, and that
in the very teeth of the most determined
effort of the purveyor to be good pro-
WIDER" There is no escape for rich or poor,
and the daintier the food the greater the
peril. The coarse diet of the laboring mah
Is comparatively sure. HIS meat and pota
toes are as nature made them, unless iried
in "refined lard, in which case they smell
of the laboratory. The bread was probably
raised by compound which, instead OF pc
ing the result of natural fermentation, was
manufactured after a recipe furnished by
chemist, and the butter was perhaps oleo'
margarine which might be said 10 have
been churned in crucible. The coffee may
or NAV not be the genuine article. Inc
milk has nothing init worse than chalk and
water, but the sugar, especially II IL be the
best in the market, IS PROBABLY largely
made up Of glucose. The hrst SIP OF the
tion a fair sample of what one must go on
eating and drinking all DAY and every uay
There is no escape from it. The millionaire
| is very nearly as helpless as the poor man
| Nearly everything is something else.
The thirty third general assembly OF Hi
nois made one effort to stay this incoming
tide OF adulteration. 1t passed law for The
protection of vinegar. There Is perhaps nc
article of food more generally adulteratec
than this common article Of table use. The
mother of the genuine article has giyer
place to q chemical mixture, and the re
nuisite acidity is secured by short GU
pointed out by the laboratory. But 10 stoI
with vinegar would be irrational and pre-
posterous. On the contrary, only begin
ming has been made, and very small on
at that, as compared with what ought 10 o.
done In the way Of food reform.
II is not to be inferred that chemical sci
epce is the necessary enemy OF the stomach
| II can be and should be sentinel at the gate
effording protection against deleterious IN
oredients. at the same time admittinr
sriepds. new and old. There may be an.
doubtless are wholesome mixtures wheel
science can point out, thus adding 10 IN
sum OF human happiness. Take, for ex
ample cotton-seed oil. Until very recen
date cottop.seed, in excess of what nigh
be needed for planting was regarded as
nuisance. The great triumph Of Whitney
gin was that il got nd Of the seed at Sigh
expense. There 10 no reason 70 suppose
however, that the oil which can be sqneeze.
ont of cotton seed lie any less pure. nutriti
ous and adapted to the wants ofthe humai
system than other oils. IL may be. as tn
msnufacturers claim, a really good SUI sti
tute for olive oil. II may, too. be a whole
some kitchen commodity, with certail
admixtuTe Of tallov, serving, when proper
lv urepared, a usefnl purpose hs . substi
int for lard or butter. Be that as II NAV
one thing il certain, there should be no de
ception practiced. Every tub Of grease
whether lard, butter. tallow, c0ttOn-see'
oil. or a mixture Of all, should stand upol
its own bottom. IL Il is really good articl
i ii will establish for itself . market. IL mAl
ltske time and capital 70 effect the intr0dnc
ton. but that Il no valid excuse tor prnctic
ing fraud. To the prevention, exposur
and punishment Of this kind Of fraud %
goverumeut should address itself II
ssvsrsl state governments and the govern
meut Of the United States should GO
Operate Unnecessary, Jet rs bave ofilus
inspecfiOn thoroughly covering the Who'll
fed. These sduiteratiOns and frauds A.
committed on q large scale, and can D
dealt with effectively y not popuiAr ssnil
rDent persistsntiy and urgently mares 70
demand.