Wichita eagle., 1888-09-18

OF whole milk cheese, by Prof Drew,
showed the presence OF fat as follows:
No. 48 had 81 IS per cent of fat; No.
40 had 1916 per cent; No. so had
SO. IA per cent; and No. 81 had 81. A
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 it
might be due to peculiar chemical
changes undergone through destruc-
tive fermentation. No signs of adul-
iteration appeared. There was only
the presence of the usual quantity Of
annatto applied for colo-ing.
But here let rs remark that annatto,
as obtained in market, is not always
the pure vegetable substance that some
suppose. 1t is not only adulterated in
some cases 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 of by basket
annatto. So annatto is not always the
harmless and clean substance that has
long been popularity supposed and
taught.
But, in the case under consideration,
as given US personally by Dairy Com
missioner Ives and Prof Drew, there
does not appear to be any thing IN
usual in the coloring matter used. So
the poisonous character could not be
reasonably attributed to this cause. In
all four samples analysed the fats were
found to be pure. But the presence Of
tyrotoxicon was unmistakable
Now. whence the presence of this
poison' 1t does not appear to have
been introduced. The inference is
that it was generated. 1t is well
known that decomposing albuminous
compounds act as a ferment and a
small portion introduced into the cir
culatory system Of human being be-
comes very violent poison, often, if
not always, producing death. Many
a surgeon has lost his life by the intro
duction, through slight abrasion of
the skin, of minute portion of de-
composing albuminous tissue from
corpse.
In all probability, the poisonous
principle in cheese has the same origin
from decomposing albuminous mat
ter. Through carelessness and I'M
cleanliness, decomposing matter finds
its way into cheese, to there act as
ferment and develop tyrotoxicon
throughout the entire mass. Hence it
is self-evident that too much care can
not be taken in cheese factories to
keep every thing scrupulously clean.
Every thing that touches the milk
should not only be carefully washed in
warm water, to which little sal-soda
or other alkali had been added, but
afterwards thoroughly scalded in boil
ing water water at 212 degrees
Fahrenheit. II this were done in all
cases, we do not believe we should so
often hear Of poison cheese, if we did
at all.
In view of these now known facts,
uncleanliness in a cheese factory be-
comes criminal; but in view of some of
our experiences, we should not be sur
prised to find that the germs of des-
tructive and poisonous fermentation
are often introduced through the rem
net tub. which in many cases we have
found to smell more like carrion
than any thing fit to be introduced
into human food. For this reason we
call the special attention Of officials
having the matter in hand to the rem
net tub, when they next have case
of poison cheese. It is fearful source
OF of-favor and quickly decomposing
cheese, and why not Of poison cheese?
Prairie Farmer.