Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-24


cal society of Washington. read the annual adj
dress before the society last night In the leo
ture room of the Cosmos club There was q
large audience present, made up Of members
of the society and OF invited guests from other
scientific societies OF the city, and included .
number Of ladies. Mr.. Richards took for his
subject some food substitutes and adulterants
and all that he said was OF real value and in
terest Occupying, rs he does, the position Of
chemist to the bureau of internal rev.
enue Mr.. Richards is acknowledged
authority on all subjects Of this nature.
He said that as a rule people imagine that any
substance used as an adulterant Is TO be avoided
as injurious TO health. and when they hear that
an article has been adulterated thew are imme-
diately prejudiced against IL. This is not so
necessarily. A dealer may cheat the customer,
but il would be a poor policy for HIM 20 Put
into his food products anything that would cause
injurious symptoms and prevent other custo-
mers from purchasing from him. The major
ity of food adulterants or substitutes consist Of
cheap and harmless substances which are not
injurious TO health, as the following lists COM
piled from the reports of the state boards Of
health and other authorities will tend 10 shows
Food product Adulterant
Milk. Water. removal Of cream. sd-
dition of cleo oil or lard 70
SKINNED milk.
Butter. Water, salt, foreign fats, arti-
fetal colorng matter.
Cheese. Lard, oleo oil, cotton seed oil
Olive oil....... .Cottons eed and other vege-
table oils
Beer. Artificial glucose, malt and
hop substitutes. sodium, bi-
carbonates, salt and anti
sCptics
Syrup. Artificial glucose
Honey. Artificial glucose cane sugar.
Confectionery Artificial glucose, starch, arti-
hclal essences, poisonous
pigments, terra alba and
Wines, liquors. Water, spirits, artificial col
orlng matter, fictitious imi-
tatIons. aromatic ethers,
burnt sugar, antiseptics.
Vinegar. ........W Water, with mineral or organic
acid
Flour bread. Other meals. alum,
Baking pow Ter. Starch, alum.
Spices Flour, starch, tumeric
Cocoa and choco-
late Sugar, starch. -four
Coffee. .Chicory, peas, beans, rye,
corn, wheat, coloring mat
Tea. Exhausted tea leaves foreign
leaves, tannin, indigo. Prus-
sian blue, tumeric, gypsum,
soap stone aud sand.
Canned goods Metallic poisons.
Pickles $500. Salts of copper.
wATERED MILK.
Mr.. Richards said that of all adnIterans
water, which is generally admitted to be HARM
less, is the most commonly used. He emphs-
sized the evil results arising from the watering
of milk owing to the fact that this staple forms
the principal diet of our infant population up
to the age of year, and it is easily conceivable
that young child might starve TO death on
adulterated cows milk. In all large cities the
health department should take every means to
prevent the placing on sale of watered aud
SKINNED milk.
oLEoMARGARISE AND COMPOUND LARD.
He went on to say that within the last few
years two products artificially made from what
had before been considered the waste Of
slaughter houses has come prominently before
the people. OleOmargarIne and refined" or
compound lard are now found on sale in
most cities of this country and Europe Legis-
lation for the purpose of restricting the pro-
ductIon and sale of the former has had the eff
feet of increasing both. Within the last three
years, since the national law went into
effect, there has been produced in this country
lOl, 1o6, oSo pounds of this artificial food SUBJ
stance. During most OF the year it can be
made and sold cheaper than dairy butter not
withstanding the high tax it pays, but in
the spring and early summer months
butter Is the cheaper and less
also is made. In this city the amount Of oleo-
margarine sold during the month of January,
u
next month up to 2s.223 pounds. This MI.
Richards ascrlbes to the demand caused by the
immense crowds here during the Inauguration.
In September again IL went up TO 1851, ss
against s.4G6 for August, caused by the prep
rations for the knights conclave.
HOW oLEoMARGARINE is MADE
The ingredients which enter in the manu-
facture of oleomargarine are leaf lard cleo oil,
some liquid vegetable oil, milk or cream. but
81
gether with some coloring matter. Mr.. Rich
ards said that from a personal inspection Of q
number of factories he was convinced that the
greatest cleanliless was observed and that
nothing but the freshest animal fats are used. .
1t is to the manufacturers interest TO produce a
palatable and wholesome product which is,
however, not intended 10 compete with first
class grade OF creamery butter.
"REFINED" LARD.
"In the manufacture of oleo OIL" he said,
"there is left behind a hard white or slightly
yellow fat. This was for many years sold to
candle and soap makers but is now extensively
used in the Manufacture of refined or COM
pound lard by being melted and mixed with some
cotton seed oil and a little leaf lard until the
mixture has attained the desired consistency.
This mixture is prepared from clean and whole-
some material and does not suggest any such
hlthy practices as prime steam lard"
In speaking of cotton seed oil MIR. Richards
sdld tnat IN the south tnere are 10 mills, With
a capital estimated at SIS, 000, 900; 1900 hands
are employed and receive $4,000 per day.
Last season SIS, 900 tons of seed were crushed,
yielding on an average 3712 gallons Of crude
oil per ton.
QUEER PREJUDIcEs.
he discussed quite a number Of other adul-
terants and also told of some queer prejudices
existing among various peoples, going to show
that what is one mans meat may be another's
poison. He spoke of the possibilities OF limit
ing food adulteration by legislation, but showed
also the difficulties of the task. The average
American" Mr.. Richards said, "would regard
with apathy any general law that would guar
antee to the public the liberty OF purchasing
food without a reasonable certainty that they
were not imposed upon in their purchase, il
1t was incumbent TO bring samples for
analysis"
At the close Of the address officers Of the as
ISOLATION were chosen for the ensuing year 40
follows: c. A. Champion, president; W. II. Lea
man and X. ID. Warder. vice presidents; Ro.
mayne Hitchcock, treasurer; A c. Peale, secs
Rotary.