The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1888-01-24

ruffians' head,
Till the filthy by-lane rings to the yell of the
trampled wife;
While chalk and alum and pla6ters are sold
to the poor for bread,
And the spirit of murder works in the very
means of life
To this lurid picture, Tennyson
added another horror by describing
the adulteration of drugs, and por-
trayed the British apotheeary as
Cheating the sick of a few last gasps, as he
sits
To pestie poisoned poison behind his GRIM
soned lights"
Previous to 1860, the only laws
against adulteration were special sta
tutes legislated at various times con-
corning individual articles, such as
tea, coffee, chicory, beer, and wine.
Another act was. passed in 1872, but
dissatisfaction arising from its opera
ton, a new act was passed in 1875 and
amended in 1879 and is now the exist
ing law. There is large government
laboratory in London, and there are
also several government chemists,
known as public analysts, in various
parts of Great Britain, whose duty it
is, to- examine all cases of suspected
adulteration occurring in the districts
over which they are appointed. These
chemists have formed an organization
known as the Society of Public Anal
ysts. They meet regularly, present
and discuss. papers relating to methods
OF analysis of foods and drugs, stan
dards of purity, and to general analy-
lytical and microscOpical research.
They, publish very valuable
monthly Journal of their proceedings.
The English system, like the French,
is a powerful agent against the adulter-
alton and has done al immense
amount of good.
In the United States, the only ma
tional legislation thus far enacted is
the act of 1S46, to secure the purity of
imported drugs, that of 1888 regarding
tea aduIteration, and that of 1887, plac-
ing certain restrictions upon the manu-
facture of oIeomargarine. A powerful
effort is being made. to have Congress
pass at its present session national
act which will aim not only at the
suppression of home authorizations but
also the importation OF foreign.
In several of the States, notably in
New York; Massachusetts,, New Jer-
sey and Michigan, anti-adulteration
laws are in active operation. New
York passed her laws in 1881, amend
ing them considerably in 1855 and
1856. The laws of Massachusetts pro-
hibiting adulteration were passed in
1882. In both States extensive in
vestigations have been carried on to
ascertain the extent of the practice of
food adulteration, and reliable statistics
of sincalculable value have thus been
obtained. To these results / shall refer
later. It may be of interest to give
that portion of the Massachusetts Act
which defines adulteration of foods
: utfThe term food, as used herein,
{ shall include confectionery, condi-
ments, and all articles used for food or
drink by man. @
San article shall be deemed to be
iadulterated within the meaning of this
Act.
= DIN case Of food: ~ Ifsany sub
stance or substances have been mixed
with it SO as to reduce or dover or in
juriouslys affect its qualify or strength.
% If any, inferior or cheaper sub
stance or substances have been substi-
tHted wholly or in part for it. 3D. If
any valuable constituent has been
wholly or in part distracted from it.
a. If it is. an imitation of, or is sold
under the name of, another article.
Is If it consists wholly or in part of
a diseased, decomposed, putrid, or
rotten animal or vegetable substance,
whether manufactured or not, or, in
the case of milk, if it is the produce of
diseased animal g. If it is colored,
coated, polished or powdered, whereby
damage is concealed, or if it is made
to appear better or of greater value
than it really is. a. fit containsa any
added poisonous Ingredient or any in
gredient which may render it injurl=
Gus to the health of person consum-
ing it."
The question may be asked, "why
has food adulteration been alloWedto go
so long unchecked?" Considering the
extent to which the evil has been car
ried, the length of time it has been
| known TO exist, and the obviously evil
results of the practice, it is a matter OF
| no little surprise that governments
have been so slow in suppressing it.
| But the explanation of this circum-
! stance is not far to seek. Legislative
bodies act upon such questions in obedi-
ence to popular demands, and, regard
ing this subject of food adulteration,
the public mind has not until very
recently been brought to recognize the
necessity of checking the INSCRIPTIONS
greed which underlies the food adul-
feration practice. The intelligent SEN
| timent which is essential to the con-
summation of this end has been re-
! tarded by two causes. In the first
place, there has been a great lack OF
accurate popular information outside
of technical scientific circles, the only
reliable results of food investigations
having, until recently, being confined
to purely scientific Journals and accord
ingly not having been prominently
brought to the eye of public notice.
In the second place, most of the litera-
ture generally accessible relating to
the subject has been limited to sensa-
tional newspaper articles, creating
temporary panics regarding cases OF
alleged food poisoning, which have
afterward turned out to be either
grossly exaggerated or wholly without
/ foundation,