El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-13

present dyspeptic condition OF man
kind 1t is ad visable conscientiously to
admit into the system a substance hsv-
ing even q mild action on organs which,
give tb cir owners trouble. The diges-
lions of the present day are not to be
trifed with.
Moreover. it is not . question OF COP
per alone. In a sample of peas anal
yzed by the department of agriculture,
there was found copper. for coloring;
salicylic acid, for preserving: lead, tin
death result from eating such COM
pounds, what could the jury do but
bring in a verdict of "Death by the
| visitation of God"?
The doubt thrown upon the toxictty
of copper salts encouraged the canuers
to make new efforts for the revocation
of the law of 1853. The Com1te,
coming" at one time returned some
what lenient report based mainly on
the idea that if copper exists naturally
in foods, we must necessarily eat SO
much anyway and may as we'll take 1t
canned, q principle much like the
familiar tradition of a "peck of dirt
allotted to each of US. A later report
suggests that the cans without copper
be labeled Eau naturel," those with 1t
"a Panglaise.' The law does not re-
quire it, but the French Gamers do u.s.
these mystic symbols on their labels
continually. Analyses chow, however.
that they mean nothing for the cans
labeled Eau naturel" always contain
copper and some of the others do not.
found bearing upon its label in in
finitesimal letters this Inscription in
English: 'This can contains grain
of copper sulfate added as preser-
vative." The can was put up by F'on-
taines Freres Of Bordeaux.
The contest between the syndicate
of Gamers and the board of health
ended in 1889 when the committee at
last gave way before the repeated as
saults upon its time and integrity and
returned report recommending the
abolition of the law, with some minor
restrictions as to limit and label. The
authorities promptly cancelled the pro-
hibition emitting the restrictions. The
reporter, M. Grimaux, gravely states
that as hygienist 1t would be his duty
to recommend the prohi bition as an ad-
dition to food of any article which
could become, even in slight degree,
injurious to health, but "the interests
of French commerce" he adds. "are at
stake. and this must modify the de-
cision.'' French Gamers. since
that time, have had entire lib
erty in the matter, and the re-
cent analyses show that they have not
been backward about awaiting them:
selves Of it, since, as in the days OF
Pasteur, the proportion of copper
in canned vegetables varies from a
mere trace to 200 parts per million or
more. The law of France, therefore,
presents this paradox: It prohibits the
use of copper in coloring children's
toys, because they may possibly get
into the mouth and cause sickness, and
it sanctions the use of copper for stain
ing vegetables, which will certainly
get into the mouth and may cause sick
ness.
If any one should be curious to see
for himself that copper really is pres
emit in the foods designated and that
the analysts are not amusing them
selves by telling him larry stories,
there are some 5G.,, simple tests for It's de,
portion of the suspected vegetables
will turn them blue if copper is pres
emit. More convincing still to the un-
Initiated is this: put q steel fork into
the article suspected and let it stand
several hours or overnight. The
prongs of the fork will be coated with
metallic copper. An instance is re-
corded in the London Lancet of a man
who thus discovered copper in pre-
served. gooseberries even while
he was eating them. Another
test: put some of the vegetables
or fruit containing copper in a silver
cup, add bit of zinc, and the copper
coating will form on the silver wall.
These tests are rude and work only in
the presence of large amounts, but
when they do work they are remark
ably convincing.
Officially, England has always been
afflicted with what its opponents call
'Cuprophobia," namely, q decided dis
appreciation for the use of copper
In foods. IL 1920 mau named Accum
wrote book under the sensational
title ''There is Death in the Pot" in
which he especially inveighs against
the practice of cooking pickles with
half pence to make them green. He
also disapproves of the addition of
verdigris recommended in the cook
books of the period in preserving
vegetables. The tin can WAS not in
his time in use, so he was not called
upon to point out the death augeP'
lurking therein. In 1850 commission
work to study this branch of the sub
ject and no doubt it is due to the influ-
ence of these two investigations on
public opinion that the use of cop
per has not become general in Englsnd.
In the United States the matter has
been left entirely to prov idence, but
for once providence has declined the
thrust upon it aud the
French process of "reverdissaRe" has
already been introduced into this |
country.
On the whole, it ia evident that the |
copper question ia one which the indi-
vidual must decide for himsalf. Ana
lysts can only furnish facts. If it is
true. as the Gamers assert, that the
public want peas, ETC., greened with
copper sulphate, there is nothing in