Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-10-29
FOOD ADULTERATIoN.
Vigilance Of Purchases the Only Effective
Security Against 1t.

vigilance OF IurchaserA thc Only Effective
Security Against 1t.
Congress devoted great deal oi
time this year to the consideration OF q
bill to put a check upon the adultera-
tion of butter and the sale Of sham
butter. Th, bill wai known as the
oleomargarinc bill, although it dealt
with all substitutes for butter and all
substances used either to alultcrate or
10 color genuine butter.
The bill was passed in each House
only after much opposition, and it
caused some bal feeling. 1t is an en-
tirely new thing for Congress to pass
any measure the real object OF which
is to protect the food OF the people
from adulteration and sham, but in
the opinion of thosp who voted for the
bill there was q necessity for this
action. There are State laws aimed ut
! lIbegussbnttar..but they can not be so ef-
fcctive as II National law, which, be-
sides being everywhere in force, at
lacks the manufacturer Of the article
by laying II tax upon it.
The adulteration of food is a very
common practice, andis rendered easy,
first by ths prevailing demand for
| cheap things, and secondly by the ex-
traprdinary good nature Of Americans.
which suffers imposition without Of
fective res stance. a rt.I. as I
You so to your grocer's and buy
some sugar. Yoa ctn very easily tell
sRhcther You arc getting the pure article
or not. Of one thing you may be sure;
Grocers can not bay puri sugar below
rtiin price. which is printed in all
the daily papers. II you buy below
that price, you are buying glucose
Now wJll-male glucose may not bO
harmful, but on the other hand, it is not
useful. A cents worth Of glucose will
not sweeten any thing so much as a
cents worth OF grape sugar. What,
then, do you gain by buying cheap
sugar-cheap because 1t is adultcratedi
Other substances which are much
adulteratcd are spices. Possibly moth
ing injurious are put into them but they
are weakened. and more must be used
to season the same amount OF food
There are numerous substitutes fol
coffee, but At present tits about AS cheaT
to drink the pure Brazilian, or "Rio
coffee, as II is to drink any OF the sub
stitutss. 1t il rank" anil has not thu
delicate flavor of the Arabian and
Javanesc colfccs, bat it is strong ant
pure.
In som, cases the practice is, not L
put foreign substances into the article
but to take out some of the useful in
gtedients. A good example OF this il
afforded by lard. Provision men hav,
on sale tin pals containing what il
called "Pure Leaf Lard" The substanc,
within contains nothing which is no
contained in lard, but in IN my cases i
has gon, through process, which ha'
removed valu lble Ingredient of lard
We might make n long list ofarticle
that need to he constantly watched il
order that attempts at adultcratio
may be defeated. Candy and con
dictionary, baking powders, milk
these ars n few OF the articles, an
others will occur to readers. 1t is be
lieyel that more than one-half the SC
called wine sold In this country
either manufactured without the use G
grape juice, or ''doctored."
1t is n great mistake to rely upo
laws to correct evils like this q