New-York tribune., 1886-05-23
DANGERIy COLORED FRENCH PEAS
HEALTH OFFICER EDISON ON THE USE of
COPPERAS.

,, QUANTITIES MORE DANGEROUS THAN LARGE
oNrs-orIxIoNs OF FOREIGN CHEMISTS.
The Health officials of this city as we'll as those
of Brooklyn for several weeks have been examln-
ing the principal! brands of French and other
foreign meas in this market DR. Edison said yester-
dav that the analysis of the goods was not yet com
pleted but would be in a few days.
"The results of our examination thus far" he
addei "lead NE to think that we shall have 10 IN
dorse the action of the Brooklyn Board and fDrbld
the sale Of these coored peas in New-lork also"
In answer to inquiry as to the nse OF copper IN
coIorinc vegetables. and his opinion in regard to
adding this metal TO articles OF food. the doctor
saidr "Small amounts OF copper exist naturally
not only In vegetable products but frequently IN
tbe tissues of the higher animals. Odhng ana
puprc found copper in oTty-thrce different cereals
and roots used for food aud also i'll twenty conSecl
five samples Of flour which they examined Iol ~;
and in twenty lone out of twcntrthree samples OF
bread. All scientists now concede that the metaI
is present i'm all vegetables and cereals grown III
soil containing its salts This shows that the dhcS-
ton of adding copper to food prohucts luThN not oh
the mere presence but on the amount present" -,
Nv hat then is an injurious amount ol copper
"The medicinal dose of copper suphate, Whch IS
the only salt of the metal used for internal inedi-
cation is One-fOurth OF a gram, eiulEachu 10
O.OG36 grains OF metallic copper ne dose az n tn
emrtic is from two TO five grains. equal 10 uDV'
TO l. ~ grains While pure metallic copper IL not
poisonous the majority OF the best authorizes are
quite agreed that its salts are, ana IL Is III 'ne iol
of salts that the metal Is present ~ .c"ioreI
vegetables. The question OF the coloUnS 0i
vegetables by copperaS salts was urea IN -. III
the English courts. Some dealers were arrested
for selling canned peas containing the equivalent
of about two and hall grams OF conner Suiph2Ie
to the pound. The chemists and physicians; WHO
test fed for the prosecution. swoTe 10 the'r nclei
that the prOpUrtlprs OF copper lonhu W'Ic lnluI.
ious 70 health I)r. Evans SAID mat the amount
might miure some and not others ana thaI III
France many eases OF accidental po Sonihg from
conner annually occurred 20.+ per cent Ol Which
were dne to the OF copper culinary utensils:
Dr. Guy claimed that repealed snail amount, ,r'd od
conner were more dangerous than large as laree
nuautitieS would bY their emctlc acton relieve
the stomach Of their presence The decision ol the
court was against the vendors.
"MV own experience, ana thc cOhcIuSi'u
reached after careful exam nation OF great dral
of evidence on both sides is that the aHuitl"h o.
conner 10 articles OF food is dangerous u 'h' N'l'-
heinz of NJ lcas. SDInc iudIYCUdis In an cNa!nIn-
alton OF coppercoored pre- lles made two Years ago
under my direction by Professor Waller OF comm
bia COLLEGE some interesting facts were recorHe1.
In a number of samples analyIed the maximum
amount of copper found was 2.Jl5 grains per p"uul
and the minimum o. lNG Grams. Al lha' M t"y
Board Of Health acting on the evidence t'at !
furnished IT, forbade the Manufacture OF thcsc eoo'S
in this city. One firm. Persis'lng ID lhe use 81
copper had their goods seized and condcmnrd. \
neculiar fact brought out by the analysis was that
fhc pickles CONFIRMED more cOpucr than tnc liquor I'D
which they were Immersed ana lh"l'l"i'lI P'''.,'S
in the saie lots contained different amounts oil ihe
poison This showed that the structure o. the
picllle hat "A special affinity for copper ant nat
the method of cOlOrlng iillmclSl NJ copper l''t'
in the vat containing the pickles. causes tso'e
pickles nearest the conner t. receive larger t"se
than those situated llttle distance OF: OI c"ulNe
this would also be true III Uhe case OF any ollcI
vegetable"
The Rrooklyn grocers are sending back the
Frcuch peas that have been condemned az Il HFry
rate Load after load of theSe goods has been re-
turncd 10 the importers and wholesale men within
the past few day, until the ware LouScS OF re laicr
have become fairly packed with this stock. ihe
iobbers are forced to take hem back ana return
the money hut they say that they Will lose moth
inc ly the Health Boards action:
We shall simply sell the goods III other places,
said one Of the house of James L. smith y Co..
Park row 4" and next fall when the season beglns
again shall import the naturally colorcd peas 'ol
Brool,lyu 7 ne season is about over now any way,
and the stock in the market Is comparatively hSht.
MANY OF the gIocers glad of the opportunity
this gives them 10 get rl Of o. u stock.
Another large dealer SAID -" lou never can prO
frst-cass hotels to use anything but the French
colorcd peas. The natural pea becomes almost
wuite i'm little while and people would not Use IT,
Bc,iGes the chefs being II Ostly E1cnchHcn prefer
the imported peas Yes there are great 'luahi lIiSS
of these goods used in this country, not Wiihslahu-
ing the dntv 0i }3 l-3 per cent that is on them.
Most of the hotels. particular the country resorts
uSe canned peas the year round IN preference To Inc
fresh ones. The reason given for this Is that the
rackod goods are really superior as regards taste 10
those sold green in the market They are cheaper
also as a rule. Isn't IT stranger Here We nave
been using French peas for baIl century ana JuS'
found out they are inlurous-that IS, The blooh-
Ign Health Board say So
Are not these cOlOlcl peas also cOnucmheu OS
the French OVcrnmcnt
There is if j. true. law in France against the
pract zee of cOoring pickles or any Vcgctables
| believe but 10 l. never enforced thoueh thc goo II
are sold openly. Government commission as
appointed not long since 10 examine the question:
ana its report was 10 the ehect that the employ
ment of copper TO the extent re luItd lor ing
vegetables natural tint WAS not Injurious MOI
witnstmding tins the law referred to WIS not re-
pcaed but. rs said. II j. never enloIced' WiIch
n,1ctically amounts to the same thns repeal.
rhc eject of thi, agitation viii be to boom Amcrl
can GOODS for a while and cause the rcnch packers
here" >, ,,,
Some of the dealers declared that they would fill
all the orders that came 10 them from biookIyh ~
ard if the Health Board interfcrcd would test the
legality of the Boards action in the courts