The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-09

How Wheat 5zoar Being Adrlt1afed and tie Consume,
Robbed Of Forty PEI Cent. of tie Nutriment IN
His Bread; Some Startling facts

rHERE are good many people In
~ this world Interested In bread
MM from the standpoint Of food an
~ well as ihe standpoint Of health.
Adulserasion in food products II
an ofT~nse. or. II you desire a
~.-ocrer term. q crime. which II being
Ss..rst by municipalities. by states and By
$1,000 with a fsercer determination than
sxer before 10 bring the battle to a finish.
leaving ou, Of consideration the occa-
.aensI use of various kinds Of finely pow
AIRED earfhs. etc, 1t Is worth while con-
s4d~rfnx RE kind of aduiterattcn now
1910 In the msnufacture Of flour.
<yer which the American laborfng man
s~ts his staff Of life
No doubt the men who aduiterate their
urheat flour with corn starch console their
eanscieuces with some such Teassurtng
ehostxht that the adulterant n not only
nj rsotsonous, but uninturious In its eie-
menss, and yet they are guilty Of the
mast despicabEe piece Of robbery known
saace meanness began. and those who eat
4 10 the extent that the labortng men Of
ehs United States eat bread simply enter
upon q certain. and not 30 very prolonged,
pes1odsof starvation.
Int first, word or two an to this adui-
eersfion and how the scientific men are
discovering if--how they are working to
render such aduiteration as this In the
future q practical inpossibiIfty.
me starch of the -four Of every wheat
harry and every corn kernel differ always
and essentially as they come under the
microscope. Take q sample Of honest
-four. and you will ind every tiny grain
70 the last hundredth that comes into
your field Of vision. as you move the slide
below the lens. roundish In shape. every
ore Of them, II cut In twain. showing a
series Of coneentric circles. and q trans-
verse section indicating the general form
Of pair Of dumb bells.
When the corn starch, like the wheat
starch, has been washed clear Of all other
elements. every grain. to the fartherest
uiIlionth. instead Of being round. Is an
guar full Of corners, the fiat body Of the
grain usually showing from five to six
sharp angles. In the center Of the grain
the lines are not circular. as In the wheat.
bat straight. starting from a weli-defined
spot In the heart Of the grain Of starch
and radiating out in perfectly straight
lines. from three to five or six lines In
each grain.
Each one Of these grains is Enclosed In a
wall Of celiuiose. The character of the
starch on the interior Of each Is precisely
the same, whether OF corn or wheat. In
the wheat -four. however, as nature has
given II to man In the wheat kernel there
b Just the right proportion OF starch for
the needs Of the human system. mixed
with other ingredients which go to give
The system Its strength.
When the men who want TO aduiterate
their -four ind that wheat costs 81 and
corn y cents a bushei II In a very natural
thing. following the bent OF crooked
mind. 70 mix the corn starch with the
-four starch. The two are OF precisely the
same character az TO appearance. etc.
But the detective II there, too. and aided
By that chief OF all detectives Mother
Nature. the scientific chemist takes the
adulterated -four, washes II In cold water
- that every part of the gluten Of the
hsur II cleared out. and then. placing a
tiny portion Of the flour. or. as II now
stands. starch. In little tube. he puts Ii
IN solution. colors II with iodine beauti-