The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1890-10-11
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
INTERESTING AND USEFUL
HINTS AND FANCiES.
Poisonous Pre.ervatlves Of MIR

For some yeas past several prep
arations of borax have been put on
the market for sale to dairymen for
preventing milk from souring and for
preserving butter. They 60 by the
names OF "preservaline, "glac ialine,"
'iceline," etc. but all arc OF q kind,
simply borax powdered or pressed
into cakes. Borax is composed OF
boraclc acid and soda, and Is dan
gerous to the human system whea
taken with food. Even small quanti-
ties exert bad effect upon the
kidneys, which are the most sensitive
OF the excretory organs, and usually
have more than enough TO do to get
rid OF the heterogeneous and saline
wastes Of the system under our Amer
lean life OF activity and unrest, and
the constant muscular exercise of
persons who never take holiday, but
work harder both physically and
mentally than any other people under
the sun.
These SO called preservatives OF
milk, butter, eggs, etc. are no new
thing. says Henry Stewart, In the
Pennsylvania Farmer. l tested them
10 years ago. They will no doubt
keep eggs from spoilinga long time,
and will keep milk and butter sweetin
the hot weather. But all this may be
done without them. by the mere exer-
else OF cleanliness and cool tempera-
ture, or the use OF simpler and safe
antiseptics. In my tests found that
the borax hardened the yolks OF the
eggs, and was absorbed by them to a
dangerous extent; eggs treated by
stepping In a solution OF the sub
stances named, when cooked and eaten,
produced in a short time distressing
urinary symptoms, which, II continued,
would certainly produce serious disor-
der OF these delicate organs. Milk
treated with them. and butter as WE'LL
found equally noxious. and, but for my
knowledge of medical science and
practice. l might have gone so far
with them as to have caused perma-
nent injury. learned enough, how
ever to cause me to oppose the use of
those preservatives as strenuously as
could. and in time they faded from
view. But recently they, or one OF
them, has been again prominently
brought into notoriety. and leading
dairy paper, 1 am sorry to say is en-
ergotically recommending the use of
I
that one called preservaline. The
manufacturers OF this dangerous sub
stance say in most deceptive manner
that the compound does not contain
boracic acid In its commercial form.
But this Is mere subterfuge. Boracic
acid Is always the same thing, when
In its pure, FREQ state, as when 1t Is
combined with soda, as borate or BIZ
borate soda. which is plain borax. DIR.
Babcock, OF Wisconsin Experiment
Station, am glad to say, takes
the right view Of this matter and
opposes the use OF 1t as strongly as
anyon could wish.
Borax is an exceedingly acrid and
active substance. 1t is used for max
Ing soap on account OF this very quality,
but even the soap Is Objectionable, be-
cause 1t decomposes and destroys the
vegetable fiber OF clothing more than
any other Kind OF soap. It is used In
medicine to cure ulcers and gargle sore
throats because OF this peculiar
destructive action upon animal tissue.
While "a person may use it in this way,
incidentally. 1t goes without say ing.
that 1t Is not fit substance to put into
ones stomach from which 1t Is discharg-
ed through the exceedingly sensitive
urinary organs. the kidneys. bladder
and urethra. It is to be hoped that
dairymen will be wise enough to leave
1t severely alone, and to rely upon
other and safer antiseptics.
Salicylic acid is another antiseptic
which has been offered for use as
preservative. This is equally or more
pernicious, and should never be used
with any food. A safe antiseptic. II
any is used. Is plain bi-carbonate of
soda; small quantity OF this in soiu-
ton. added to milk will keep 1t sweet
twelve or twenty -four hours longer
than the standard thirty-six hours. for
which I have found milk can be kept
sweet without Ice In any we'll ap-
pointed dairy. This Is not injurious
in any way. and is even useful as
tending 70 destroy acidity in the stom-
ach OF person who may suffer from
slight indigestion in warm weather.
But the more active antiseptics above
mentioned prevent digestion and en-
courage dyspepsia In weak stomachs,
and weak st6machs are very prevalent
among Americans. But what might be
said In regard to this adulteration OF
the sole food OF young. infants. who
have 80 much to contend with In re-
gard TO their feeding when deprived OF
their natural ailment their mothers
milk, pure from natures fount, and de-
pend on the supply from millsmanl
Commercial borax contains some