Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-15
guilty. and the case was c,rt!anea. rh'

ntTUfu says:
These prosecutions brought szsin.s Two
large and reputable firms have caused cVl.
siderable cominoiion among the RroceS o.
this city.
A member Of the trade, who psvserrcd
that his name should not b. made pubItc y
this time. furnished the writer With toe Sosr
lowing statement:
"The practice of aduiersting uolassess"
said be, 'bcgun In New York not long
after the war, and at . time when prices
we're very high. Good molas,es then re-
tailed for eighiy or ninety cents per gni-
Ion, and the temptation was very strong u
do little judiclous mixing. When prices
came down egan aduteration gradually
ceased, although IL continued 10 some cx-
tent in syrups. When glucose or corn
syrup was discovered some few years ago
II was found that the Introduction OF s,me
Of this starchy substance into molasses
liehtensd IFS color. giving TO it an appear.
apce II much greater purity, while AZ
the same time Il deprecated the molssses
greatly In its sweetening properties, the
glucose containing little sweet. The glucose
was extensively manufactured IN Bpflio.
and thence transported to New York, where
II was bought In quantities BY New York
dealers and used IN the aduiterattou vt
their molasses. SO extensive did the indus
try become that New York dealers soou
found II profitable to manuIacture their
glucose Of home. As glucose Is worth
something like IS or 80 cents gallon, the
advantage Of the plan H. hobvions,' ~
sam Weller would soy. The retailer never
has any signs scattered about 10 the etfcrt
that he sells mixed molasses. Tie sells
moiasscs, and that Is all there is about Il.
do not see how corn starch--anj glucoseis Is
a sort OF corn starch or3corD syrup can be
unhealthy. But In any event, molsses doe
tored In this way has proved very aitrac-
tive 10 the trade, although some few dealers
have resOutely OF late set their ficcs
against II, and refused TO handle IL.
These sfc few and far between. however,
probably forr or five wholesalers arc
all who do not buy IL. and more than 20
rer cent. Of the trade handle ~. and IL tods
It's way into the stomachs Of the consumers,
who are none The wiser. 1 may add that
this glucose + obtained by three different
processes. In one OF which strong acid IL
used 10 precipitate the glucose, and hence,
il cny oi the acid remains In glucose OBJ
tained by this process. which Is afterward
used in adulteratiug nolasses, serious con-
sequerces might follow.
"Now We come 10 the matter OF anu.
teraticn with the salt Of tin "a poison. The
State Board Of Health proposes to show
that two firms In this city, |. o. Wiring
< Go. and Mcssrs. Howard W. spur A.
Co, have sold molisses sdulterated with
this poison. II they have sold II, 1t Is pre-
ssmable that very large percentage OF the
grocery trade has bought IL OF them and
sold II In turn. But whether these other
deslers supposed they were buying
pure molaSses or mixed molasses L,
DO not suppose there II one who
believed he was purchasing poisoned mo-
lssses. am not a physician. hut the nv
lure Of thls poison and It's effects upon the
system are we'll known. saw an account
OF IL IN the evening Herald. just the
quantity of tin used IN adulteraiton l DO
not know. can only speak a. member
of the trade know that molasses Is sdul-
terated With tin, aud know by the analysis
of one of the best OF chemists that this IL
truc. and what | should call a generous
quantity Of tin is used. Now. whether
the firms who are being prosecuted be
found guilty or be proved innocent,
thorough ventilation of this mat.
ter through the Herald cannot fail
10 10 much toward stopping tins perui-
cious snd criminal proceeding. whoever
uay be conducting II, and II viii be an ex-
celent service 20 the public. IL may be
claimed that molasscs Il often kept In TIN
recepiacles, and that il IL neither improba-
BILE. nor in any way surprising, that eyi-
dence OF tin should be found In the molas.
ses. But this pleading Will rot go down
even II il comes from the mouth oi
chemist. Wbyy Because | know that
tin i'm quantities has been found In mo-
| lasses which has never been In tin receFta-
| cles at all. Another point: Two sam
| ples NAV be taken from the same hogs
| head, and an ANALYSIS may find considerable
| tin Iu one sample and fail 10 detect II in the
other. How Is this, Why, in every hogs
| head there Is Il good deal of sugar, Wbieh u
constantly precipiiating. The tin, when
introduced quickly, finds its WY toward
the bottom. so that sample taken near the
bung may show little or no evidence Of H.
presence. while il a sample bc taken
| near the bottom of n hogshesd thus docfored
IL may be found 10 contain plenty OF tin.
From the very bogshead IN which tue
State inspector alleges that he found
| poisoned EOlasses. IL IL possible tlnt an-
ether sample should BE- taken, 10 which no
poison could be detected. In the ordinary
course Of things agood deal Of the tin
would find It's way down among the sugar
in the bottom Of the hogshead. This sugar
! is sold to sugar dealers and cOnfectioners,
and the lin VIII thus 6nd lis way into the
candy-stores. There are grest possibilities
| Tor serious trouble in this thing.
1t Is no new thing TO use tin In adulte-
! ration. II was used IN sugars In New York
some years ago, bur the practice was hap
ply squ.lched. II il used 10 give greater
! briliancy and clearness % the molisses (;
/ is readily soluble, and is So insiduDus aud
| effective that few expert, by looking at mo-
| lasses thus adultersted. could detect the
! dangerous frauds. II does not affect the
'naturalnoss of the mOlassas. This mo-
| lasses containing tin Is probably used 10y a
| large proportion OF the trade, who, although
conscious that they are handling mo!isses
| in some way manipulated, do not know
! that they are handling a poison. In the
| eve OF the law all ARE guilty who keep u
for sale. but a simple warning viii pioba'
bly be sent by the state Board OF Health ID
| all except those who are supposed 10 have
used the poison In adulteration. But, as l
| said before, II these two firms be- guilty, as
| the State Board alleges, u II not the tine or
the stigma OF the thing which viii do good,
but it Is the thorough yentiliiOn which
| the abOminlble custom will receive, who
ever nay happen 10 be guilty; and II these
| firms be found 10 be innocent, the outcome
.. -. - ~ h. Ia