Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-09-23

visions and vegetables. Just completed
by the department of agriculture. is
that the public is in danger or slow
poisoning by the copper. lead. tin and
zinc contained in these foods. s.lys the
Washington Star.
To begin with, copper is used 10 give
a green color to the peas and beans
which are imported from France into
this country in enormOus quantities.
The employment Of the metal in uues-
ton for this purpose has long been
familiar. Cooks took notice that the
preparation of such legumes in imper-
fectly copper pots gave them a deeper
and more attractive hue. Afterward il
was ascertained that the same effect
was produced when une vegetables
We're cooked in ordinary vessels with
the addition OF small quantities OF cop
per salts. This method was much more
convenient and was quickly adopted.
Since then an immense industry has
grown up in the "greening' Of canned
beans and peas by the simple process
referred to. Copper is a poison. That
II has caused death is disputed. Its
salts act on the human system as a
violent emetic. On that account they
are not usually dangerous. But the
meta has a tendency to accumulate
in the body, especially in the liver, and
with old and sickly people it is likely
to cause functional arrangements.
There is said to be such a complaint as
copper collie. Workers in the metal alb
Sorb it until they beco ne so saturated
with it that their eyes sometimes turn
green and their urine reveals it as az
Ingredient.
Some authorities have claimed that
copper is a normal constituent Of many
foods. More OF less of il is found in
the bodies of numerous animals, being
originally derived from plants whose
roots absorbed the salts of the metal
from the soil in which they grow. A
noteworthy instance is that of an Afri-
can bird called the ~"turaco,' which
feeds ON plantainS. Its wing feathers
are colored red 10y a pigment contain
ing about 8 per cent. OF copper. The
metal is usually discovered in minute
quantities in the liver and kidneys of
human beings, and of various domestic
animals.
The cook books that were popular
in 1870 recommended the cooking of
pickles and leguminOus vegetables to-
gether with copper pennies to green
them. SO late as 1890 q French firm
patented n process for co'oring peas by
which the copper vessel containing
them was placed in connection with one
Wire from a dynamo, while the other
wire was connected with IN electrode
hanging in the fluid surrounding the
food. The current passing through the
mixture dissolved enough of the metal
to green the peas. There are in Paris
two cannaries which impart TO their
vegetables a beautiful green color
without the aid of copper. In one of
these establishments the greCniug is
done with chlorophyl extracted from
spinach. In other words the natural
green of the peas is retained 10y a Meth-
cd involving the use Of lime, soda, and
other non-metallic ingredients. 1t is
said, by the way, that sea animals
commonly contain considerable amount
of copper, as much as 100 MILL
grammes being found in a dozen
oysters.
However, the danger from copper in
canned food is trihiTg compared with
that from lead poisoning. 1t is well
Eunyvn tbat Load oS a nelson Is ,,,pa /
deadly than any other Of the common
metals. II has a peculiar way of ac-
c%umulating IN the system and then
suddenly manifesting itself by produc-
ing symptoms commonly serious and
often fatal. Wrist drop" printers
palsy" painters palsy and lead
collie are vulgar names for malldies
produced by its action. During the five
years ending in 1880 there were 324
deaths from lead poisoning recorded in
England. This is equal to about 20 per
cent. Of the total number Of fatal
cases from poiSons Of all kinds. But
one was accidental and none were
criminal
The source Of lead poisoning in can
ned food is generally solder. In max
ing a can three lines Of solder are
left-one at each end and a third down
the side Of the can. More or less Of
this finds It's way into the preserved
juices. Lumps Of solder are often
dropped into tGe can during the process
of sealing, To bite upon one Of these
small chunks Of metal is not agreeable,
as most persons can testify. The dan
-" from this source can be imagined
when it is considered that tine solder
is composed of two parts Of lead and
one Of tin. But the tin plate Of which
the can is made also contains a GER
tain amount of lead. The cheaper the
tin plate the more lead there is IN it,
ard naturally there is a tendency
among Gamers 10 use the inexpensive
grades. Tin plate is divided CONNER
cially into bright and terne7 plate,
the former being covered with more
less pure lin and the latter with