Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-09-17
ANTISEPTICS IN FOOD.
Their Too Free Use IndUccs a Larger En-
hlbit OF Poisons Than Is Wise.

Their Too Free Use Induces a Larger En-
hibit OF Poisuns Than Is Wise.
Tho recent prosecution for selling
orange vino containing little over
three grains to the pint of salicylio
acid suggests the proprioty of dis
cussing shortly tho general question
of preserving foods by antiseptics.
Wines arc Sulphurod and duCtored
with saliCyl'" acid, HuobOrates and
fuosilicates. To milk in hot weather
oil sorts of antiscptics are added,
tho chief being boraCic acid, varied
OF late by the addition of fornalin.
BOracio acid or borax is also tho ia
vorlto antiseptiC for buffers. 1t
may, indeed, DO stated generally
that all deCompoSablo articles not
storilizod by boiling or preserved
from change by cold arc liable to
be- treated with small quantities of
antisoptics. There may not be in
any one article u percentage suffi-
Cicnt to cause, whom given in u sin
gle dose, Improbable effect, but u
person taking boraXed milk and but
ter for breakfast and tea and a sal
icylated vino for dinner will be
consuming day by day u sufficient
amount of active drugs to produce
somo effect on his health.
Salicylic acid is poison. In 1873
n case happened in which so small
n dose rs three grams GAG grains)
caused death in 40 hours. Possibly
the acid was impure In three other
cases in which decided and Danger
Gus symptoms were produced the
dose was much larger, being Is, %
and 30 grams respectively. Sail
Cylic and boHHoiC ucidS arc thorapcu-
tiCally attenuatcd phenols. Phcnol
being most poisonous, then comes
saliCylC acid, and lastly bonzuio
acid. What tho effect of small doses
of saliCylio acid, say grains daily,
may DO Is at present q matter
of conjecture. We know that most of
it is eXcreted by the kidneys united
with glyCoCOll, and also that it is a
combination, forming a variety of
aldehydcs and esters, the physiolog-
iCal effects of which are not pre-
CiSoly the Same rs tho free acid. 1t
is conceivable that small quantities
of salicylic acid, whom they como in
contact with the intestinal and gas
trio juices, are i'll this way changed.
1t is also possible that long bottling
of n wine with salicylic acid will
change the acid into salicylic ester
or salicylio aldehyde. Schmitt, for
instance, has found that, although
Rhine wines are sulphured, the old
Rhine wines contain no free sulphur
Gus aoid, the greater portion hav-
ing combined with aldehyde, form
ing aldehyde sulphurous acid
Be this as it may, the growing use
of antiseptiCs constitutes u possible
danger to health. Persons with
sound eXcretory organs have for
years daily taken chemicals of the
kind in their food without injury,
yet it can be confidently predicted
that other persons with damaged or
weak kidneys will be- affected by
minute doses. 1t must also be re-
membered that digestion in the in
testires is carried on to n great ex-
tent by what, outside the intestines,
would be recognized as formenta-
tive or putrefactive process. In
short, just as the nourishment of a
number Of plants depends on the
microbes around their rootlets, so
the assimilation of our own nourish-
ment depends to n large degree ON
the activity of hosts of colonies of
microbes in tho intestinal canal. All
antiseptics, even in minute quaint
ty, will inhibit the activity of these
colonies or affect unequally various
species, the net result in ordinary
individuals being an impairment Of
digestion or an actual dyspepsia.
British Medical Journal