The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-06-10

A Dangerous Practice i'm q Manufacture
of Canned Goods.

DR.. j. G. johnson, in an article in the
Sanitarian, calls attention to the dangerous
practice prevalent among manufacturers of
canned goods of fastening down the cover
with an amalgam composed of muriate of
zinc. The muriate of zinc is formed by dis
solving pieces of zinc in muriatic acid until
the latter is saturated. The solution is then
painted into the groove around the top of
the can by boys. The cover is then put on
and held by clamp until the soldering iron
is passed round. If there is too much of
the muriate of zinc, as often happens, it is
forced into the can by the expansion of the
Tin by the heat, since it cannot escape exter-
nally because of the solder. AS the muriat-
ic acid acts upon the tin as well rs upon the
zinc, the poison thus introduced is a muri-
ate of zinc and tin. The poison will act al
SO upon the contained vegetables, bleaching
them SO that they have faded appearance.
On the human system this poison has an ir-
ritant, caustic and astringent action, and,
like all minerals, is apt to stay in the system
apparently doing little harm until a sufficien-
cy accumulates TO bring on dangerous symp-
TOMS
1HclS ID no uecu LOT the use OF tlu at al
in canning goods. The bare iron plate is
preferable, for iron is not poisonous, and an
occasional slight discoloration is far prefera-
bic to risk of death. Even the use of solder
can be done away with by the substitution
OF very hard cement, like the ordinary can
wax, which is perfectly insolqble in the acids
of fruits and vegetables. DIR. johnson ex-
amines the legal aspect of cases of poisoning
from canned goods, and finds that ''exeln-
| plary damages, at the discretion of the jury,
will be sustained by the courts for this reck-
less tampering with human life." This ac-
ton will accrue, in the case of goods sold in
sealed packages, against the original manu-
facturer.
Another danger arising from canned fruits
and vegetables is that which proceeds from
themselves. If can is sound the head is
sunk in. II the contents have begun to de-
compose the head is bulged out. Dishonest
dealers buy these 'tswels," as they are
called, punch hole in the heads, and put
the cans in boiling wax to drive out the
| gasses, after which they solder up the hole
That is to say, they repeat the process fol-
| lowed in canning. But cans so treated will
have two SOLDER holes instead of one. Such
| cans, ii purchased, should at once be sent to
| the board OF health, along with the contents
and name of the grocer who sold them.
All buyers of canned food should reject
| every can winch does not show the line of
rosin around the edge of the solder on the
cap, knowing that muriate of zinc has been
used when it is absent. They should also
reject all goods which do not bear the name
of the factory and also the name of some
| wholesale firm on the label, and should test
| the soundness of the contents of a can by
| pressing in the bottom. If the pressure is
followed by rattle, caused by the displace-
ment of the gas, it is not fit for food. A
sound can has solid feel. 1t there is any
rust around the cap on the inside of the
| head of the can, the contents are not good.
"If,' says DR.. johnson, housewives are
educated to these points, murate of zinc
amalgam will become thing of the past,
and dealers in 'swels' must seek some other
occupation"