Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06

merson in brine, or by some other cause. 1t
is still common practice with many house
wives to ''green" their pickles By allowing
them, with their vinegar. to stand in brass
or copper kettles for "a hours or more; and
it is also advised in some cook books 70
place a few pennies in the pot while COOK
ing the pickles How it is that anyone
should be SO ignorant as to do these things
it is difficult to conceive; yet it is done.
Whether the copper found in the two IN
stances mentioned came from the vessels or
was added in the form of sulphate of copper
(blue stone), makes but little difference; 1T
existed in the picklesas sulphate and acetate
of copper, both oil which are highly poison
Gus. Many cases, some fatal, of poisoning
from eating pickles colored with copper
have been reported.
The oil of vitriol found in seven samples
is evidently very common sophistication.
Its cost is so little, and its strength is SO
great, that the temptation to use 1T as an
adulterant OF vinegar is powerful. In addi-
ton to adding tartness to weak vinegar, 1t
increases the antiseptic or preserving power,
and for this reason the admixture of q small
amount q part to 1000 parts) is permitted
by the English "tood adulteration act. :"
But even thiss is unnecessary, as shown by
the fact that where the proportion of the
acetic acid and other ingredients are what
they should be, no vitriol nor anything else
is required to give it preserving power. The
amount found in the samples was, in all but
one instance, very much greater in amount
than allowed by the English act, and in all
cases where present there was a notable de-
fciency of acetic acid, the normal sour in
gredient of vinegar. In addition to its own
deleterious effects, commercial sulphuric
acid very
OFTEN CONTAINS ARSENIC.
The lead, iron and zinc found were pres
ent as result of the action of the acids on
these metals, with which they had come in
contact, soluble salt of the metals being pro-
duced. All these substances are injurious,
though this statement may seem strange to
those who would think iron an exception
on account of its known tonic properties;
but tim ust be remembered that iron is only
tonic when given in small doses and not
too long continued. If its use is kept up it
will eventually impoverish the blood.
Coming to the remedy for this state of
things, it may be stated that all pickles con-
tanning sulphuric acid and copper should be
rejected. You may detect sulphuric acid in
vinegar and pickles in this way: Place
few drops of the vinegar on small piece of
granulated white cane sugar in saucer;
then set the saucer over the top of TIA
kettle or other vessel in which water is kept
boiling for some time. This will evaporate
the water and acetic acid of the vinegar,
and then ii sulphuric acid is present it will
become concentrated and char the sugar.
This charring of the sugar is certain and
simple test for the presence of any import
ant quantities OF sulphuric acid. Copper is
usually indicated by the bright green color
of the pickles. Chemically, it may be dis
covered by simply immersing clean pol
ished knife blade into the vinegar. If
salt of copper is present even in small guam
titles it will be deposited in the form OF me-
tallic copper on the knife blade
Catsup: In the first place, avoid highly
colored article, for the chances are that
much coloring matter has been added to
disguise the dark color of half-ripened or
rotten tomatoes. Again, don't buy low
priced article. When you see an array of
catsup bottles In a window with a price
card on them, showing they are being sold
at half the first grade price, don't buy that
catsup; it is not fit to 60 into a human
stomach. The writer has known of a bar
gain hunter who walked four squares out of
her way to get catsup that was sold 3 cents
cheaper (?) than better grades. Examina-
tlou ohoncu Iudt Cdtsup W Ue ulLuV; 1t was
a network of moldy fiber. Considering
how long bottle of catsup will last, 8
cents is a very small saving to the pur-
chaser, yet that much difference in price
means great deal to the manufacturer,
consequently he cannot afford to out as good
tomatoes in it nor to make it up so care
fully as the better quality, so that this
grade contains most of the rotten tomatoes.
the sweepings, etc., all colored up nice and
red with rosaniline. Whose fault is it that
this kind of preparation is on the market
the manufacturers Not exactly. 1t is the
fault of the bargain hunter, who wants to
get something for nothing-the bargain
hunter who holds 5-cent piece so close to
her eye that she cannot see the dollar be-
hind it.
CHEvALIER 9. JACKSON, M. D.