Wichita eagle., 1888-08-09
ICE CREAM AND CANDY.
POPULAR PALACES CONCERNING
THEIR POISONOUS AOULTERATlONS.
The Trouble Not in the Freezer Nor the
FlavOring - The Tyrotozicon Theory.
Terra Alba and Glucose-Ptomaines In
Canned Meat.

Flavoring - The Tyrotoxicon Theory
Terra Alba and Glucose-Ptomaines In
Canned Meat.
Many people are naturally inclined to oe-
lieve the worst, to imagine that they are
being poisoned by the water they drink and
the food they eat II they can find state
ments which seem to bear out their theories,
they are only too anxious to faunt them in
the faces of their more reasonable friends
with a triumphant Il told you sou The
time is coming, however, when ali this will
be changed-thanks to the public schools,
where the pupils receive a certain amount of
instruction in the natural sciences. They
will be better fitted to judge of scientific
facts when they 60 out into life
During the summer months persons are
frequently reported as poisoned by eating ice
cream. The statement is still often wrongly
made IN such cases that the trouble WAS
caused by leaving the cream yer night in the
freezer, and that it had absorbed some OF the
zinc or tin OF which the freezer was made.
That is plausible explanation, and one
which, as q rule, satisfies the popular mind
OF course, everybody understands that the
metallic salts are poisonous, and, knowing
this. 1t IS only necessary TO show that it is
possible for them to be present to convince
the average person that they are the actual
cause of poisoning. To create the violent
symptoms of acute metallic poisoning it would
be necessary to take into the stomach quite a
large quantity of the harmful agent, enough
to cause in most cases AN unpleasant taste in
the mouth, SO much so as to render any
article Of food unpalatable. The quantity of
poisonous material which could 30 dissolved
from freezer by ice cream is very small
and where suspected cream has been analyzed
only traces have been found,
When the fact that metallic poison was not
the cause Of these cases had been repeatedly
demonstrated, it was CT course, necessary to
look for another probable explanation 1t
had been noticed that in tho majority Of the
cases of the poisoning by ice cream the
fiavoring used was vanilla That substance
was then suspected Accurate and minute
investigation by scientific men showed the
fallacy OF the theory, however, for over two
thirds Of all the ice cream made was favored
with vanilla, or toaka, cheaper substitute,
and hence the prevalence of the substance in
the suspected samples was simply coinci-
strated that, whenever specimens Of cream
alleged to have caused poisoning have been
obtained and examined by competent observ-
ers, they have shown the presence of poi
sonous substance called tyrotoxicon, which
has been extracted from the cream, aud
when given to animals caused precisely sim
liar symptoms to those IN the persons made
III. The isolation Of this substance really
Lad fho f~r
TO be the cause Of poisoning, every objection
raised in the case Of Ii. metallic or vanilla
theories could be answered. Tho Same VIC
lent symptoms have often been observed
after eating cream cakes and lemon pies,
both Of which, as generally made By bakers,
contain a paste made Of corn starch As
is well known, the cheaper kinds OF ice cream
with which the greater number Of cases Of
poisoning occm-are also Largely made Of
that material This fact is In itself strong
argument in favor Of the tyroSoxicon theory
Tyrotoxicon Is the product Of an orraussrn
which can be cultivated arti1cialiy, and
medium such as corn starch jelly would be
more favorable 70 its growth than simple
frozen cream.
A few words in regard 20 the symptoms 81
this kind Of poisoning will not be out a
place, although they have been, sogse time
since, given in these column Soon after
eating anything which contains this Sub
stance harsh metallic taste Il noticed, and
violent pains in the stomach, vomiting With
much effort, and GOODNESS Of tho li-nks ard !
body follow. When these symptoms are Oh /
served an eu1stic Of mustard vg.er should q. /
once be given and physician summoned /
Matter rorni.ed should be saved and shown /
to him, as It viii greatly aid hirr Ii arriving I
at the probable cause CT tie trouble. Similar .
csses Of poisoning arise after eating chess,
that sometimes contains tyrotoxjcon, and /
IL was Ia cheese ihe poison was a-a dis
covered
The discussion Of ice cream naturally calls
Up the subject ot candy, and here, too, tie
general posdc is 81 fault Noppula, writer
on sdui.rTstiOn ~ould cons.6er ths. he lad
done la duty rrIess &c lad deFo.e6 a large
part Of his discussion 20 candy OUTS bar
rowing picture can he drawn Of tbs tors Il
terra Aba and si1cose used, wE.ie tic lis. ot
poisonous chemicals % 30 fond practically
exhaGsrs chemical nooenclatgrc. IN. sss
facts are Tar different trola .a1s orer1-swn
picture Beyond Tie use Of gfnco~e sor sags-,
which Is perhaps. aljovabie, E21os !. y ce:-
.a4nly &c: nofe deieeeEssr3, ed lie Us Of
terra AHA. Which cannos - defended cn s-y
grounds, tie earty Q. ice rrss~c- u free. frcra
kd1l.e-D..ca tAa slzos. ary cczz1oa
Article @. food DeycrA d01ss tAe-a
are occ<Eosssi-y 20 be four1 c.s1s &
poisoning caused By tctzrto1s ec.Sr1ag
bzs "a .bs vzss ra.xtty &
-sses tie rsai cs.sss 10 srora ea.i-x $50 la-r.
! qaa..ssy of .es candT. q q nasz-al %
ltse.nys - excae eBeis nesec., assa Wien
.be btane fer allowing catsd - q. TOO
rzea ca be pis<xsS.y psacnd q Tia c1lar.,ss