The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-01-17
FOOD ADULTERATION,.
- -
Its Causes and Bearings.


Tread before the Social Science Club in
RsssFsIi ssi by u SaR az F5'
rheksrlb qdMsrotioS has, 81 tie
popular mind, become very closely
associated, if not sy nonymous, with
poison. Such an opinion, founded on
vague knowledge and sensational
newspaper articles, though in many
instances true enough, ID by no means
true of adulte:ation in general. We
cannot find in the dictionaries a full
and accurate definition of the word, as
understood in connection with the
trades and professions. The word has,
in comparatively recent years, taken
on technical Specification, which in
cludes what other words are often usel
to express, as sophistication, substitu-
ton, etc. - 49,
In this comprehensive sense, adult
teration may be defined as any infe7a-
tionaI addition to or substitution, IL,
part or in whote, in the genuine ar
ticle, Of any foreign, hoaDsfut, or inert
substance. or the Intentional dbstr0c-
ton, in Whole or in part, from the
genuine article, of arg valuable con-
stituent-Wih the cypress purpose of
deceiUing the consumer, or Of cheap
ening, on of increasing IN quantity,
the finished product. - Il T.
1t is not necessary to qualify this
definition by saying that it does not
include those cases where substances
are added to orstaken from in order to
enhance the value of the article.
4 hot ..,rtr. NNni -af
to be discovered.
adulterated which could be, especially,
questioned proof. AS new forms of
adulteration have come to light, people
have been inclined to wonder, "Well,
what next ~ They, could sympathize
with the hen which was made an I'M
willing party to fraud. GOOD
gracious,'' said she, when she discov-
cred a PORCELAIN egg in her nest, ~
shall be a bricklayer neXtn As Ar
temus Ward said, we are sure of moth
ing in an clearinghouse but hash, and
even honestly prepared hash may
show swindle in its pepper, that is
two-thirds terra alba. Milk is about
the only thing, beyond eggs, that can
be confidently relied on as being of the
first water. .- rF fl
If we inquire closely into the causes
of adulteration, we shall find that it is
an immediate effect of the develop
ment of commerce. Inprimitive con-
ditions of society, there may be tricks of
trade, ignorant bartering, substitution
of bad for good, falseness and mean
ness of every sort, but no systematic
sophistication is possible. Also, IN
semi-pastoral state, in which the food
of family is raised from the soil on
which they live, and clothing manu-
featured from the wool of their own
sheep and spun into textile garments
at their own tiresides, commercial
frauds are unknown or undeveloped.
Various reasons have been assigned
to account for the prevalence of adul-
teration, and among these we may
distinguish those which are either
purely fictitious or half true and those
which are real. The former are rather
excuses which have been urged by
dealers in eXtenuation of adulteration.
Let us examine some of these.
One reason assigned in defense of
many authorizations is that they are
practised in obedience to the wishes
and tastes of the public. 1t is on this
plea that many kinds of coloring are
excused, such as the coloring of red
sauces, ported meats, and fish, with
red clay; cheese with annatto; pickles,
bottled fruits and vegetables with cop
per; and sugar and confectionery with
various pigments containing salts of
arsenic, lead, copper, etc. ....-.y
In reply to this, we may safely
assume that when people prefer a more
highly colored article, it is a mere
question of appearance and in total ig-
norance of the. composition and in
furious effects of the coloring matter,
just as a child will always take the
most highly colored stick of candy he
can find. Thepublic need only be in
formed that these things are injurious
and they will not prefer, merely for
the sake of looks, articles which are
known to contain Harmful substances
to those which are pure and whole
some. Indeed, reaction is already
setting in against artificially cOlored
foods, consequent upon enlightenment.
A somewhat amusing circumstance,
illustrative of this reactionary feeling,
occurred in this city not long ago. A
family owned very valuable COW,
whose milk was, unusually rich. and
made very yellow butterA Although
they made the butter themselves and
knew the milk was pure, yetthe high
color of the butter was so suggestive of
artificial coloring' that they Sold their
own butter and bought lighter col
ored article for their own use from
Another excuse, urged in extenu-
atfonof adulterah bon, Is that the addi-
lions made to Sc Keral articles consti-
tute improvements. On this plea IS
defended the addition of chicOry to
Coffee wheat flour, TURNER'S, etc, to
mustard; sugar and starch to cocoa;
sulphuric acid to vinegar, etc.id i
1t is not necessary to go into details
to show that additions for the purpose
of so-called Improvements are in no
case benefit, but are often positively
harmful. i would, however, in pass
ing, call attention tothree facts in con-s
nectfon with this practice. First, lit isl
Invariably true that these in1prsvingI
additions are cheaper Than the arfielesl