Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-02
y. t,.r,.d .ru,, Injurious.

sDid it ever occur to you that
maybe YOU are eating too much canned
fruit?" asked a lady OF her friend,
who was complaining OF indigestion,
weakness and generally good-1or-
nothing feeling. "There seems TO be
growing idea among physicians and
observing persons that a great amount
If canned fruit-that is, the constant
nse of it-does harm. just why or
how / have not heard discussed"
swell, I have given some attention
to the subject" was the reply, ''and
| think have solved a certain Phase
of the mysterious reason. l think
whatever injury may result from its
use is traceable directly to the cans.
[ know numbers Of persons who merely
wash out new jars. then put their
fruit in, and close them up. recall
being at the house of friend who
was very fond Of fruit, and always
canned great quantity. One even
ing at her house. l tasted little OF
the berries she had just poured into
the dish, and as l closed my teeth to-
ether / crushed bit of the thinnest,
most delicate shell glass. ltwas only
IA small piece, but quite enough, had
1 swallowed it, to produce serious, II
not fatal results. My friend was
amazed when l told her of the conse-
quences of such a fragment entering
the stomach. Then she began to
think intently. Some years before.
she had lost a child. 1t had always
been rather delicate, but never seri-
ously i'll, but had no appetite, and
seemed to lack vitality. 1t lived al
most entirely on canned fruit
berries. cherries, and the like-but
complained of almost continuous
sharp pains in the stomach and
bowels. After a time, she grew
worse and finally died, the doctor
said of consumption of the bowels.
The mother was very unhappy when
she came to consider the possibilities
of the case, and at once consulted
several eminent physicians on the
symptoms of the little one. They all
agreed in the belief that bits of thin
glass had been the direct cause of the
child's death.
sThe mothers first impulse was to
give up glass cans altogether; but
after some experiments she became
satisfied that a little care and atten-
tion in the preparing of the cans
made them perfectly safe. Before
the cans are used, a handful of shot
should be put in and thoroughly
shaken about. or course, it must he
carefully done and the shot must be
small, or the can will be broken. A
chain dish-cloth, such as is found OF
should be found in every well-rcgu-
lated kitchen in the land, is one of
the very best articles for clearing the
cans of the thin shell-glass which
comes from bubbles of air forming
when the glass is blown. Examine
every glass can and you will see these
bubbles all throught it. Ii they are
veIy thin on the inside the heat OF
the boiling fruit may and very likely
will crack off some pieces of glass.
which will become mixed with the
fruit and is often eaten or swallowed
under the impression that it is bit
OF Sand Orgrlt. Cans, after one years
use, are not like to be dangerous tt
health from this cause. but even Their
many housekeepers of the extra par
ticular sort go over them with shot
or chain-cloth whenever they are tt
be refilled.
Scanned fruits should not be toe
sweet. A pleasant. slightly tart
flavor is best. And if proper care is
taken that in cooking no metal comes
in contact with the fruit, and if the
cans are thoroughly freed from shell.
glass. believe after a free indulgence
in such fruits for many years that il
is not only not injurious but is emf
nently wholesome and beneficial, as il
certainly is delicious and convenient
-Nc,r York Ledger.