Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-26
POISON IN CHEESE.
.r,. probabIe Origin of the Poisonous rim
cipie In Dairy Products.

r,. probabIe Origin of the Poisonous rim
chile In Dairy Products
The causes OF poison cheese re-
,na;ned n mystery, In scientific point
Of view, until the Investigations OF
Prof. Vaughn. OF Michigan es'''o-
usbed the fact of the presence oil tyro-
toxicon in poison cheese. Since theh,
numerous Investigations have served
to confirm the results OF the pro
fessor's experiments. Quite recently
Dairy Commissioner Ives, OF Mime
sofa. has Investigated, in his ofhciai
capacity, a case of poisoning by eaoing
cheese. which has attracted a good
deal of attention. The thorough anai-
ysis of the cheese by the State Chem-
ist Prof. C.. w Drew, showed 1t 10
contain tyrotoxicon. Otherwise the
cheese appeared to be of excellent
quality and extraordinarily rich In iat'
An analysis of -four different samples
of whole milk cheese, by Prof. Drew,
showed the presence OF fat as follows;
No. 48 had Il. 46 per cent. OF lat; NO.
40 had &c. 46 per cent; No. oo had
80. IA per cent; and No 81 had 3Z'44
per cent. OF fat.
No so was the sample OF poison
cheese and was very rich In fat, as
will be seen. This excess OF fat leads
to suspicion that portion OF IL
might be due to peculiar chemical
changes undergone through destruc-
tive fermentation. No signs OF adul-
teration appeared There was only
the presence of the usual quantity OF
annalto applied for coloring.
! But here let us remark that annatto,
| as obtained in market, is not always
the pure vegetable substance that some
suppose. 1t is not only adulterated in
some eases with lead and other ingre-
dents. but is polluted with urine ap-
piled to make it keep and to brighten
the color This accounts for the urin-
Gus odor too often given off by basket
annatto. So annatto is not always the
harmless and clean substance that has
long been popularity supposed ani
taught.
But in the case under consideration
rs given us personally by Dairy Com
missioner Ives and Prof. Drew, there
does not appear to be any thing un
usual In the coloring matter used. ;,
the poisonous character could not bt
reasonably attributed to this cause. In
all four samples analysed the fats were
found to be pure. But the presence o.
tyrotoXicon was unmistakable.
Now. whence the presence of this
poisonp 1t does not appear to have
been introduced. The inference. il
that it was generated. 1t is well
known that decomposing albuminOus
compounds act as a ferment and q
small portion introduced into the cir
culatory system of a human being be-
comes very violent poison, often, i
not always, producing death. Many
a surgeon has lost his life by the intro.
duction, through slight abrasion o.
the skin, of a minute portion of de
composing albuminous tissue from I
corpse.
In all probability, the poisonous
principle in cheese has the same origin
from decomposing albuminous mat
ter. Through carelessness and un
cleanliness, decomposing matter finds
its way into cheese, to there act as {
, ferment and develop tyrotoxicor
throughout the entire mass Hence i
is self-evident that too much care car
not be taken in cheese factories t
, keep every thing scrupulously clean
Every thing that touches the mill
should not only be carefully washed il
warm water, to which little sal-sod,
or other alkali had been added, bu
afterwards thoroughly scalded in boil
: ing water - water at 212 degree
\ Fahrenheit. If this were done in al
t cases, we do not believe we should St
G often hear of poison cheese, if we di
a at all.
p In view of these now known facts
+ uncleanliness in cheese factory be
! comes criminal; but in view of some O
t our experiences, we should not be sur
Y prised to find that the germs of des
a tructlve and poisonous fermentation
: are often introduced through the rem
e net Tub, which in many cases we hav,
t found to smell more like carrie,
imam any thing fit to be introduced
/, INTO human food, For this reason w,
!, call the special attention of official
Y having the matter in hand to the rem
e net tub, when they next have "A cas-
. OF poison cheese. 1t is fearful source
OF of-hayor and quickly decomposin.
cheese, and why not of poison cheese
l Prairie Farmer.
"A lady has a little cnlored er;rl q