The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-18
Testimony of DR.. Edward III. jenkins,
an Agricultural Chemist, Before
Senator MasOn's Committee.
SHAM COFFEE AND SPICES
AND A TEMPERANCE DRINK THAT
CONTAINS POISONOUS NATTER.
Brewer Zeltner of Opinion that Ma
tionaI Law Should Control the>
Purity Standard Of Beer.

NEW YORK, Nov. 1.-THE United States
Senate committee, represented by Senator
Mason, of Illinois, to-day resumed its IN
vestigation into the adulteration of food
prepared for the market. William II. Zelt-
ner a brewer in this city for twenty-three
years, was the first witness. He said he
believed there should be a national law con-
trolling the standard of purity of beer The
standard should be fixed on basis of bar
ley malt. Mr.. Zeltrer said corn and other
grains were nutritious, but are not to be
compared with malt. He favored law for
bidding the use of any grain but barley,
and if that was impracticable a law COM
Polling brewers to issue labels giving the
component parts of their beer.
DR.. Edward II. Jenkins, an agricultural
chemist, vice director of the Connecticut
agricultural experiment station, declared
the general adulteration of food products
had increased with the business competition
and the demand for cheap wares. In his
five years experience, DR.. Jenkins said, he
had found only one adulterant that was
poisonous, and that was coloring matter
in temperance drink Cocoa shells, prune
stones and the like. he testified, were sold
,aS spices. None of these adulterants except
the one color was hurtful to health. but
half the jellies examined were made of
glucose and starch paste colored with arti-
fetal coloring, favored with artificial flavor
ing and preserved with salicylic acid. The
cheaper grades of coffee were found to con-
tain large proportion Of Canada peas pea
pellets wheat middlings and chicory.
DR.. Jenkins presented for the instruction
of Senator Mason a number of small bot
ties containing the coffee adulterants and
imitation coffee beans, adulterated mustard.
which is 20 per cent. plaster of paris, pepper
that is 70 per cent. charcoal. sawdust and
flour and cayenne pepper that is less than
10 per cent. pure pepper. Tomato catsup,
the witness said, is made from the cores of
tomatoes artificially cOlOred and preserved
with salicylic acid. OF thirty samples OF
olive oil twenty-six were adulterated with
cotton-seed oil. OF forty samples of beer
tasted eleven contained salicylic acid, while
Speaking of the dyes used in temperance
drinks, DR.. jenkins said experiments had
shown that one glass of raspberry soda had
sufficient analine dye to color piece OF
flannel seven inches square.
RRTARDS DIGESTION.
Yesterday Prof. Russell H. Chittenden,
professor of physiological chemistry at Yale
University, director of the Sheffield School
of Science and president of the American
Physiological Society, testified that salicylc
acid, which is used a preservative in
beer, retards digestion. Borax has a like
effect, but he had found no dsleterious eff
feet from the use of boracic acid in small
quantities, though in very large quantities
it produces nausea. Very few of the gen.
eral food products on the market analysed
by Prof. Chittenden showed the presence of
antisepticS personalities.
Asked his opinion as to the value of a
national law regulating the use of preServa-
tives, Prof. Chittenden said the best result
would be obtained by compelling manufac-
turers to stamp on their products the nature
and quantity of the preServativeS used. He
believed there should be law prohibiting
the use of coloring matter in preserving
fruits and vegetables.
The witness said he had analysed all sorts
Of domestic liquors, including beer. and that
the only adulteration he had found was an
addition of water in whisky. He described
beer as a hop and malt product and con,
cereals would be technically an adulteration
but not necessarily deleterious.
Prompted by DR.. II. W. Wiley. the United
States chemist. Senator Mason asked Prof
Chittenden about all the food products that
other witnesses have told the committee
are adulterated, and the witness declared
sisted should be sold under labels telling
| exactly what they are. Prof. Chittenden
said he would favor the fixing Of United
nets nctse including liauorsNthe appointment OF
| commission Of scientific experts to fix
such standard.
Isaac Rheinstrom. of Cincinnati, dis
| tiller, favored law compelling manufac-
| turers to make truthful representation o!
their goods.
James X Jarvie told Of the impurities
1 Work Of IF purifying 5 them necessary before
putting them on the market for consump-
| iion very small quantity, less than per
cent of the total importation. is refuse