Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-26
ON sULPHUR1NG FRUITS.

umn of the Fort Worth Weekly GAZETTE
July 16 on the present California method of
| drying peaches is probably correct. In
| Texas Farm and Ranch, issued July Il, is
| quite a lengthy article on the eyaporating
business. I 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 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. II. f. THAYER.
| AL 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 De no sui
phuric acid about peaches bleached by
burning sulphur under them. Turn to page
AZ of the United States Dispensatory, where
read: "Sulphuric acid is obtained by burn
ing sulphur mixed with one-eighth of its
weight of inter, over a stratum of water,
contained in 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 500: In open vessels sui
phur takes fire at about the temperature of
300 deg, and burns with a 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 a volatile gaseous sub
stance, would be bound to float away on ex-
posture to the air in the drying process of
the fruit. But even supposing that por
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
fruit to render the acid injurious would
make the fruit so very sour that no man
could eatit For the medical properties of
sulphuric acid turn to page As OF the United
States Dispensatory and read: Sui
phuric acid is tonic, antiseptic and refrig
Grant. informally it is always administered
in dilute state" Hence we have it that
if there was minute representation of sui
phuric acid in the dried fruit (Which there
could not possibly be) it would work nothing
whatever against the health of the con-
sumner
In the fourth place, 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 in the open air-they would not be
light colored and nice without it. 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 the 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, yet 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.