Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-09-21

that the public is III danger of slow
poisoning by the copper, lead. tin and
zinc contained in these foods, says the
Washington Star.
To begin with, copper is used to 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 cues
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 it
was aScertained that the same effect
was produced when the vegetables
ere 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
1t 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
metal has Il tendency to accumulate
in the body, especially in the liver and
with old and sicl1y people it is likely
to cause functional arrangements
There is said to be such 4 complaint as
copper collie. Workers in the metal alb
serb it until they become so saturated
hot
green and their urine reveals it as an
Ingredient.
! Some authorities have claimed that
copper is a normal constituent of many
foods. More or less of it 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. It's wing fea theirs
are colored red by a pigment contain
ing about 6 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 We're popular
in 1920 recommended the cooking of
pickles and leguminouS vegetables to-
gether with copper pennies to green
them. So late as 1890 French firm
patented a process for cOlOring 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 an 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 greening is
done with chlorophyl extracted from
spinach. In other words the natural
green of the peas is retained by 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 trifiipg compared with
that from lead poisoning. 1t is well
known that lead as a poison is more
deadly than any other of the common
metals. L has peculiar way Of &C
cumulating n the system and then
suddenly manifesting itself by produc
ing symptoms commonly serious and
pften fatal. Wrist DROP" printers |
palsy" painters palsy and lead |
collie are vulgar names for maladies !
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 We're
criminal.
The source of lead poisoning in can
ned food is generally solder. In max
ing can three lines of solder are
left-one at each end and third down
liS Sluc VI Tic Cdu 1hOlc vi lcoS VI
this finds its way into the preserved
juices. Jumps of solder are often
dropped into the 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
ger from this source can be imagined
when it is considered that the 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, {
aid naturally there is a tendency s
among Gamers to use the inexpensive ]
grades. Tin plate is divided CONNER j
tally into bright and ''terne" plate,
he former being covered with more
n less pure tin and the latter with {
varying mixture of lead and tin. I
only the bright plate should be used c
or canning. L
In Germany the till employed for
AIMED goods is not permitted to con-
ain more than l per cent. of lead.
There is no legal restriction in this
ountry on the subject, and the per-
entage of lead in the cans is some \
lines as great as II per cent. Most
eOple imagine that they render them
elves secure against these evils by
such foods in bottles, often II
aging double the price. Unfortunately P
he DprcpDta po of load in tho bottles ic I