Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-12-22
SPURIOUS SPICES.
How Pepper and Other Condi-
mentS are Adulterated.
Revelations Made by Govern
ment Microscopic.

DR.. Thom1s Tay.or, micros copist OF
the Unitod States Agricultural depart
meat, is engaged ia making nicroscop :
ic examinations of a mum Der of samples
of cor diments purchased at various
stores 10 this city. Samples of pepper,
allspic, and c.oves are now undergoing
scrutiny. Ii almost ii not ia every
sample examined some adu.terant can
be found. Tao condiments arc pur-
chased at stores and delivered il her.
medically sealed packages bearing the
name, and addresses of the manullc-
Jurors. The labels arc nun bcred and
carefully put away for further refer
eio'. Both the whole bcrri,s and
ground condiments are purchased. DR..
Taylor sti to Star rep rter that tho
Investigation was mainly for the pur-
pose OF finding out simpler methods by
which adultcrating ingredients my be
dcte ctcd.
In making the Investigations h, had
observed that the common aduteraat,,
lrickdust and sand, were not ell so
much now as they were formerly, but he
has fou1d that stone cells of olive
and other seed and cocoanut shells, he
thought, were the principal adultcrants.
They have no taste or smell, and he
saw no reason why they could not DO
used in all condiments. To make mi.
crosse )pic sections of black pepper a
berry is inserted in wax tip on a COM
mon cork, and by means of a micro
tone, new invention of D.. Taylor's,
a shaving thin enough to be transparent
is takon from the berry which is buried
In the wax. This is transferred to
glass and photographed for the pur-
pose of asceItaining its structure.
1t is also drawn in colors, stains be-
ing used, enabling one to detect the
various substancos.
DR.. Taylor has obtained from the
olive and vino farm OF S. E. Good
itch, In California, quantity OF olive
eNSASSs ho ohOhSS WIN sIOuud "
powder and passed through the finest
sieve Imaginable. BY subjecting q
portion CT this powder to the micro
scop, it was found to be composed of
what is known to the botanists as
stone cell'. U der polariz.d light
they arc very brilliant and easily dis
tiuguishcd from the stone cells of the
genuine article. AS compared with
the stone cells of back pepper they
arc long and narrow. As already
stated, another adulterant used is
ground cocoanut shell.
The powder made by the shells i,
much darker than that mad, by the
olive stones, which is of yellowsh
hue. The cocoanut shell pow Ter is
moro suitable to ginger and spices. The
structure of tho different condiments
having been determined, it can easily
be asccrtained with the microscope
whether or not any foreign substance
has been introduced in it and what the
substance Is. Is ack pepper, when
good, said D.. T ylor, VIII have fair
share Of the black skin covering of the
berry. When there i, scarcity OF the
black ska in the pepper ard it appears
streaky, the article is apt to contain
somo adu!terant. Authorizations, he
faid, can easily be dete cted by the fla
gers. AL that is necessary is to put
some OF the articl, in water and rub it
between your fingers. Ii an aduIterant
has been used the stone cells can be
felt. Alter taking your fingers from
the water som, of the stone cells will
remain on them.
When asked whether the result of
the micros copic examination would hold
good in prosecution for selling adulter-
ated food, the doctor said that there
was not the slightest doubt but what it
would. He eaid that microscopic tests
of bogus butter had sto cd in the courts,
but he knew of no convictions whore
the ana ysis was made by a chemist. -