The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1889-01-26
ADULTERATIoN OF FOOD.
ny ALEx. SWEET

There is an ancient legend that once upon time
there were three flies. Two of the flies were fool
ish and liable To he deceived but the third fly read
the papers regularly and consequently difficult
insect To delude. The first 1y observing the beau
tifn color and the delicious fragrance of some
genuine golden syrup, tried little of il on his
batter cakes, so to speak Ii tasted very nice
indeed but il had been adulterated with prussic
acid, and the consequence the fly soon began to
complain of general debility, accompanied by a
sensation of nausea. learned physician was
called in, and he very discovered that the
unhappy insect was suffering from an inflamed
condition of the mucous membrane: also that the
coats of the stomach very much frayed ut
the edges and needed a new lining. The careful
physician prescribed mild sedatve and expecto-
rant in the shape of volatile tincture OF guacum
mixed with alkaline extract of alap calcined mag
nesia and muriatic acid, mixed we'll and TO be
taken three times day. Under ordinary circum-
stances this ought to have effected a complete cure
or, at least, greatly modified the nervous ndiges-
ton and incipient chorosis from which the fly was
suffering, but, unfortunately, the golden syrup
had been sdulterated by the grocer, Just so the
ingredients of the prescription had been adulterated
by the druggist. The result that, instead OF
producing the desired effect, the prescription threw
the unhappy fly into epileptie fits accompanied
by the most alarming symptoms, which finally
degenerated into whooping cough and cancer
causing the patient to collapse suddenly of rheu-
matte govt. The druggists bill was so large that
the family was left poor amateur per-
Torrance on the violin. Thus persisted one of the
foolish flies.
The second one was healthy female fly who was
engaged 10 young male fly who in every way
worthy OF her. She happened 10 buzz into the
room of an invalid who slipping some brandy
toddy which the doctor had prescribed IA a tonic
10 build up his system and give him an appetite
AS the brandy had cost four dollars bottle and
was labeled "Genuine French Cognac" the mex Pc
rienced young fly thought she might with safety
revel in drop or So of IL. Unfortunately, the
brandy had been adulteratcd also. 1t was made of
cheap whisky and prussic acid and a few other
simple remedies for all the ills the flesh is heir to-
The consequence that the fly was thrown on
bed of sickness. Fortunately the disease was taken
in time and the doctors prescribed a mild prepa-
ration of prepared tncture of quassia, cacined
magnesis, emulsion of myrrh and few other SIM
pie remedies, TO act a mild sperent, but all these
things were adulterated. PeritOnitis set in imme-
dately, accompanied by hatulence, measles and
violent Mysteries, which reduced the doomed fly TO
a skeleton. After a severe attack of lowness of
spirits, accompanied by skin eruption the fl did
not lingcr much longer. The adulterated drugs
smoothed her pathway to the tomb, of which she
soon became a silent inmate
The third fl smart. lie knew what he was
about. When he was asked at the breakfast table
If he did not want some fresh country butter he
replied he did not wish TO encourage the incip ient
tape worm germs found in oleomargarne, and he
was otherwise very circumspect in his diet Hay-
ing noticed that all the healthy articles of food had
been poisoned, he concluded that the rule worked
both ways, so he deliberately fed on the fl poison
that was set out for his benefit, and, sure enough
it, too, had been adulterated and was harmless
The wise fly grew fat on it, and was mentioned
favOrably in the papers for cOngress.-Netc York
Mercury.