St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-04-11

husG is mold, and flour prepared from
wheat tainted would prove deleteriOus
to the health of people eating bread
made with such -four.
Smut is ergot of wheat-a black Sub-
stance OF fungus growth, which appears
Ia wheat or grain of any kind, but more
especially in rye. Ergot of rye is used
IN medical practice and is of narcotic
ana poisonous nature when admins
Cered IN considerable quantities to man
OF animals. The ergot of wheat is of
slmllar growth as the ergOt of rye, but
! Is not considered to be so DANGEROUS a
poison as the rye fungus. It would
however, produce poisonous symptoms.
II ADMINISTERED in considerable 0aunti-
tles. Had the symptoms of those who
lad become i'll from the use of the flour
heen described to the chemist he could
az once have given his opinion as to
Gne nature OF the deleterions substance
IN the samples sent him. There are
cases on record where illness has been
caused by the use of bread made from
nour manufactured of wheat infected
with smut, but no deaths have, as far
as can be learned, resulted from the
poison.
Mr. johnson stated that he would
continue his Investigations still further
TO ascertain whether the -four contains
any other poisonous substances, and
VIII submit his reports as soon as he
mas completed bis analysis.
From the absve, it will of course be
seen that the theory of the Natchi-
toches Review, that the -four was adul- |
terated, falls to the ground-in fact a |
little thought would have cast doubt |
on this supposition from the first, as the
grade OF the flour and its small value |
would have made mixing with any de- |
leterlous substance proportionately too I
expensive to render such proceeding t
practical. Then again furtherinvesti-
cation showed that New Orleans does
not manufacture, could not have en-
anated from here.
Yet another theory advanced. that
the flour may have become mouldy and
uneatable while in store here, is ex
pl0ded by the fact that the fifty bar
reis IN question were never in store for
more than few days, as the commits
slOn merchant. Mr.. Rogers, sold the
hour from the landing direct, and the
date OF sale of the last barrel was bare
y zen days after the consignment's
original arrival here.
Hence those most interested claim
mat whatever deleterious properties the
{.
1ectlOn whatever with it's handling
lere, but properly should be referred
20 the mill whence the goods came,
ne chemist aDalyzing suggesting the
dea that sweeping or stale and unexam- Fl
ned wheat were used in it's composition
tits stated that the lot was shipped
leree for sale from a mill at Jonesbor-
ugh, I'LL.
The above facts are substantiated by
he complaints Of the parties using the ,
lour, the bills of lading, receipts, ETC., {
howing the date of arrival, sale de- {
DaTture, and reclamation.
Yesterday Mr.. johnson was called
Ipon by the gentlemen who had sub {
nitted to him the samples for analysis |
0 give certificate. Mr.. johnson, af- /
or explaining to them his impressions, /
eclined to give certificate, as it was |
impossible by chemical analysis to GER
ify positively to the presence of fun 8
US or ergot in -four. Microscopical ex- 5
of course showed the black {
articles above alluded to, but no other T
Dreign substance could be detected by
leans of the microscope. I