Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-07

Some Surprising Statements by the Dcpar,
ment Of Agriculture on the Subject.

Some Surprising Statements by the Depart
ment Of Agriculture on the Subject.
From recent exhaustive investigations Of the
subject the Department Of Agriculture esti-
mates that fifteen per cent of the total food
supply Of this country Is edulteration, repre-
senting an actual loss to the people Of $685.
OOo, 900.
A STAR reporter was informed at the depart
ment that many packages of coffee contains
but little genuine coffee. They are mainly
composed Of peas, chiceory and rye, roasted
and ground. The small "chefus'' nut occasion
ally found in the market is used for the same
purpose, as well as almond shells, which,
treated with molasses and ground. make a fair
imitation. A process is also applied to coffee
which reminds one of the plan by which, when
Jumbo died, two elephants were made out of
ms remains. one being the skeleton and the
other the stuffed skin. The coffee is submitted to
processes by which the essential oils and the es-
sences are extracted from the beans. which are
then sold as coffee, while the essences are
manufactured into extracts and sold as such. A
very usual method is to take the coffee beans
thus shriveied by the extraction OF the oils
ana essences and soak them in sea water, which
pumps up" the berries and conveys a pleas
ing deception to the public. If you want good
cohee 1t u fairly good rule to avoid the
highly polished, colored and plump grains and
purchase the poorest looking article you can
Bologna sausage has always been regarded
rs mystery, but no one would readily sus-
pect adulteration in it. And yet not only is
the mixture of which it is composed commonly
more or less decomposed, tainted meat being
cheaper than fresh, but the condition Of the
material is effectuaily disguised to the pur-
chaser by what is known as ''coloring," made
OF salt, saltpeter. borax, alum and Venetian
req: Colorlngs play an important part in the
business of the adulterator. Three small
"greened'' pickles contain the full medicinal
dose OF sulphate Of copper, two grains. Vermi-
CELL manufacturers use poor -four whitened with
pipe clay and supply the absence of eggs with
saftron and chromate of lead. Strawberry ice
cream commonly is made by dispensing with
the fruit, Using aniline red and amyl others in
stead. Persons who are addicted to that very
popular drink called whisky ordinarily regard
the fusel OIL which it is apt to contain when too
new, as detrimental to their health. but the gov
eminent chemist says that one plate OF ice
cream or single glass of soda water frequently
contains more OF this deadly product than five
glasses of poor whisky.
Brandy, nowadays, instead of being produced
Dy the fermentation of grapes, is a complex
mixture derived by distillation from grain, po-
tatoes and the refuse of beet-root refiueries.
Potato spirits and beet alcohols, most dele
ferrous OF all varieties Of spirits are sent from
Germany into France in vast quantities to be
navored, colored and labeled to meet the
wishes OF American connoisseurS in cognac.
Cider vinegar is almost never made from
apple juice, and an article claimed to be
pure orange juice and found on sale as
orange cider proved upon analysis to be only
sweetened water. sharpened up with citric and
tartaric acids and favored with the oil derived
from orange peel. Practically all of the flavor
ing extracts used more or less in every family
are mixtures of acids and drugs, the manufac-
turer OF pure article having no chance in the
market.
From 40 to so per cent Of the drugs sold in
apothecary shops are adulterated. Quinine
pills usually contain less quinine than is pre-
tended. Candies of all sorts are sophisticated
with prussic acid and other poisons Paris
green Is employed to color the ornamental
leaves with which cakes are adorned. The leo
rice drops given to children for colds are made
from candy factory sweepings. fair quantity
OF dirt being included. Artificial jellies are
composed of gelatine, sugar, artificial fla
vorlng extracts and cochineal. Two-thirds of
all teas from China and Japan are colored
with Prussian blue and other chemicals. Cheap
fish are packed and sold under the names Of
superior kinds. Honey is adulterated with
glucose. White and black pepper are falsficd
with wheat, rice, corn and ginger. Most fari-
naceous substances which have become dam
aged and unstable are rendered serviceable by
the spice mixer" being transformed by roast
ing and grinding into products closely resem-
bling the various spices in appearance, lacking
only a little seasoning with the real article to
give the characteristic odor and fit them for
bat