Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-09-07

| In the same report there is presented
abundant evidence that, inhaled in
small or moderate doses, no lasting
harm results, but Prof. Harrington OF
harvard University, and DIR. Brough
Tor the Board of Health of Boston. find
| that dogs, cats, bed bugs, and flies. in
rooms undergoing disinfection with
formaldehyde, rarely survive.
Repeated large doses have been
given to man without any harmful
results" And then again. COMPARE
lively small doses may kill a man.
only few days ago. while waiting a
moment in a physicians office in one
OF our Maine villages | picked up a
copy Of one Of the leading medical
journal which recorded a ease of fatal
poisoning in an adult who accidentally
drank small quantity zone ounce or
less. II was thoughD Of a 4 per cent.
solution Of formaldehydc. Physicians
worked over him assiduously, but they
could not save him.
We have much to learn about formal
dchyde to enable US to give a salts
factory explanation Of how its d4leteri
Gus action is excrted. Used as a dis
infectant. ii is supposed to destroy
'.A' ~ ifi ny wa uldtiIlB CT hardening
the protoplasm upon which their vi
tally depends. Taken into the intesti-
nal tract. it's tendency is undoubtedly
to exert its harmful influence in the
same way upon whatever part of the
protoplaSm of the structure of the hui
man organism il may reach; further
more disarranginE the digestive and
aSSimilativc functions. Applied To
pathologic tissues il enables the micro
scopist to harden them So that he can
make his sections. Applied to corpses
il is q useful agent fer the embalmer
or for the anatomist. mumifying the
bodies and poStponing the processes Of
decomposition. Applied to foods 1t
hardens and renders indigestible their
most valuable parts. the proteid con
stituents. and probably others.
one Of the bulletins of the Agricul-
tural Experiment Station of Cornell
University says: 1T would seem I'M
wise to endanger the healthfuI condi-
tion of the stomach and diminish the
digestibility of crea m and milk, nat
urally rated among the most digestible
food products. That milk and cream
treated with formatn are injured. is
not founded upon theory but upon
facts. Digestion experiments have
been made upon milk with and with
out the presence of formalin. In the
cases so far reported the milk con-
tanning the formalin required a longer
time for digestion than that which
contained no formalin. Furthermore.
the behavior of the Babcock test of
milk which had been preserved by
formaiin shows that its composition is
in some way affected. Ordinarily, the
curd of milk is dissolved by the sui
phuric acid that is used in this test
Where forrla lin is used the curd often
fails to dissolve and becomes a COM
pact mass If this preventative can so
alter milk that sulphuric acid may fail
to dissolve its curd. is it not at least
probable that the gastric juices of the
stomach may be rendered less effec
tive?" The experiments of Gottstein
of Germany show that food products
are hardened and spoiled when treat
ed with formaldehyde. The food pro-
ducts thus treated We're indeed pre-
served, they did not decompose. but he
who should take them for food would
receive a stone instead of bread. Thai
was the result of long exposure to the
gas. but such experiments show the
tendency of the action of formalde-
hyde upon food products. The inves-
legations of Ledcrle the chemist FOR
the Board of Heal tn of the city of New
York, teach him that the use of for
maldehyde for the preservation of
milk should be prohibited.
Now, Mr.. Editor. an apologize de-
meanor becorles me for asking for so
much space, but this manner of the
use of chemical personalities in foods,
and particularly in milk, upon which
the lives of SO many younger and more
susceptible part Of our population ar
dependent, is a very important public
health queStion-One which premature
conclusions should have no part in set
Ting. | feel very sure THAI the great
majority of the onsumers wish to re-
ceiVe the milk pure and free from
chemical adulteration. The public out
cry. last year. gainst reported prac-
tees in connection with The army
commissary ser 5ice. ! think may as
sure us that we are DESTROYS of dis
pensing with the embalmers' processes
as applied to our milk supply and our
meat supply. As for the milkmen !
believe (without taffy) that. for homes
ty. they will COZ npare favoTably with
any other class with the doctors, Tor
instance. by th, majority of whom
may they be counseled TO lrt formal
dehyde, ''presery aline." free zine. ana
their iik alone. and to keep their milk
clean. The eNpe rience gained in some
model dairies. and at some OF the ag-
ricultural expert ment stations, show
that the bacteria in market milk need
not be numbered by millions, but may
be reduced to only few thousand or
a few hundred germs, per Unit OF
measure. A. G. YOUNG.