The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-07-27

Aerated Waters.
The season of sun,ner drinksis again
at hand and the drug stores are orna-
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
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 estim ated that there is
at present at least 81, 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 5000 per day, and that dur
ing the year at least S2.O00,O00 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. a quick and fatal poison when
brought i'm contact with the lungs. 1t
is 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
bod fofa e., al lii, In,
Italy there is grotto in one of the pict-
uresque caves near Naples where this
gas forms a layer along the floor for
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
atory delights of soda, ginger ale, and
any of the mineral waters one needs only
to 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; aud a sugges-
ton 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 a
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 eases this gas is made by run
ming vitriol from a generator into res
ervoir containing marble-dust. The two
ingredients unite and two new products
are formed-carbonic acid gas and
gypsum. The carbonic acid gas is then
passed through half a dozen reservoirs
Tiled 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 then ready
to be conducted into various reservoirs
filled with water, and soda, ginger ale,
Vichy, kissingen. ETC., are made at the
same time in the same reservoir. Of
course the soda has to be favored and
labeled. The most important feature
in the manufacture of these drinks is
the tiavoring 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 great extent, and none. but an ex-
pert can tell acroted Lake Michigan
water, in which certain salts have been
dissolved, from the genuine Bethesda,
congress, 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
ever. allege that they use soda in the
production of the gas with which the
water is 10 be aerated. Their process is
to mix water and bi-carbonate of soda
in certain proportions in a reservoir,
into which suhphuric acid is passed.
The result is carbonie 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
aersted and favored according as soda,
ale or mneyal water is desired.
The cheap dealer gets his work in on
aerated waters principally in the flavor
ing. The various tlavors. such as pine
apple, lemon, vanilla, chocolate, rasp-
berry, blackberry, ETC., are duplicated
by compounds familiar to the chemist
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-
ceived. 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
the science of chemistry has been SO
prolific of practical results as recent
discoveries in the art of counterfeiting
vegetable favors. The usual method
is to unite some mineral extract with
an ether, and the whole is thickenej
with poor and dirty quality of sugar.
Mead, new drink manufactured from
glucose and water. has attracted some
attention, but it does not appear that
this drink, whose fiavoring is of as
questionable quality as that of any of
the others, is destined to revolutionize
the trade in popular drinks. 1t is con-
ceded on the highest medical authority
that all these laboratory compounds are
injurious. and frequently poisonous.
OF the long list of foreign mineral
waters it is stated that occasionally a
bottle of Appollinaris may be seen