Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-30
on suLpHuRING Fruits.

| umn of the Fort Worth Weekly GAZETTE
July ID on the present California method OF
| drying peaches is probably correct. In
| Texas Farm and Ranch, issued July 15, is
| quite lengthy article on the evaporating
business. am now in the position of the
| old sea captain-between two winds. Texas
Farm and Ranch goes on to state that
| peaches bleached with sulphur contain sui
phuric acid, which is very poisonous, giving
! the fruit a bad, sickening taste, etc. As You
| gave only the California method of drying
peaches, can you now give the evil effects
of that method, if any EXIST
Fort Worth, Tex. Fl. z. THAYER.
All said by US with reference to drying
| and bleaching fruits in California was upon
the authority of Mr.. Furnas Of that state,
one of the best informed men relative to
such matters in North America. Consider
ing the authority one ought not long to be
standing ''between two Winds in the case
named
Mr.. Furnas said nothing about the evil
effects of bleaching fruits with sulphur, for
the reason, we suppose, that there were no
evil effects in attendance.
In the first place, there can be no sui
phuric acid about peaches bleached by
burning sulphur under them. Turn TO page
A of the United States Dlspensatory, where
read ''Sulphuric acid is obtained by burn
ing sulphur mixed with one-eighth of its
weight of inter, over stratum of water,
contained in g chamber lined with sheet
lead. If the sulphur were burned by itself
the product would be sulphurous acid"
This clearly settles it that since there was
no inter in the case of the bleached fruit
there could be no sulphuric acid.
In the second place, there could be no sui
phurous acid left in the bleached peaches
after they had been dried in the open air
following their exposure to the fumes OF
burning sulphur, for read in the Z. S. Dis
pensatory, page 696: SIN open vessels sui
phur takes fire at about the temperature Of
300 deg, and burns with blue flame, COM
bining with the oxygen of the air and giving
rise to peculiar gaseous acid, called sui
phurous acid" Thus, you see, if it were
possible for sulphurouS acid to cling to the
peaches it, being volatile gaseous sub
stance, would be bound to float away on ex-
the fruit. But even supposing that por-
tion of it should remain, which could
scarcely be considered possible, it, having
in its makeup no element save the volatil-
lied sulphur, could be no more injurious TO
man than would be the pure sulphur itself.
In the third place, even the dreaded sui
phuric acid so dwelt upon, as referred to by
you, is not poison save where taken in
large doses, and then it acts only the part
of caustic. To take enough with ones
fruit to render the acid injurious would
make the fruit so very sour tina no man
could eat it. For the medical properties of
sulphuric acid turn to page As of the United
States Dispensatory and read; ''Sul-
phuric acid is tonic, antiseptic and refrig-
Grant. Internally it is always administered
in dilute state.''' Hence we have it that
if there was mirste representation Of sui
phurfc acid in theeiried fruit (which there
could not possibly !be) itN ouid work nothing
whatever againstathe health of the con
sumer. &
In the fourth p]k bee, fruit can be bleached
by no other substance than burning sui
phur. Evaporated fruits are bleached by
the same means as regularly as are fruits
dried il the open air-they would not be
light colored and nice without il. All the
modern and popular dried fruits that so
much please the eye and tickle the palate
are bleached with sulphur-they would not
go on the market without it. So it is now
too late to begin railing against sulphuring
fruits-the thing is here to stay, and really
we cannot see any shade Of good reason for
why it should not stay. 1t is not our opin-
ion that any..sulphur remains in tine fruit,
but even should this be otherwise, the per
cent is so small as to amount to nothing
We go to the sulphur springs and tip OFF a
glass of water without any thought of bad
effects, vet it is quite probable that the
said glass of water contains more sulphur
than is ever contained in fifty pounds Of
bleached and dried peaches.