The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-08
THE USE OF tags ON FOOD
Opinions TO the Effect That They
EndangeP Health.
Paper Advertisements ON Tread Not
sumers of the staff of Life-HeaIth
ohscer Woodwnrd's Views Com
corning Metal Tags on Meat.

The use by bakers, butchers. and other
manufacturers or preparers OF food pro-
ducts Of small tags or waters upon their
respective goods for the purpose OF adver-
Using the game. is being strongly objected
to by housekeepers and people generally
by whom 1t is consumed
In the case of paper waters pasted upon
leaves of bread. it is said that so closely
do these unobtrusive advertisements stick
as to be scarcely distinguishable from the
crust. and the consumer, in many cases
swallows both without being aware of it
1t is true that no decidedly serious symp-
toms OF indisDositi0n WILL in all proba-
'bility. manifest themselves Immediately Gf-
ter the swallowing OF the paper The IN
conscious diner will probably rise from
! the table. convinced that be has partaken
| of satisfactory and thoroughly whole
some meal. But let him continue to swal-
| low the paper advertisements day after
day and week after week and note the re-
suit. He will be come sallow and dyspep-
tic at the end of three months; the same
course. pursued for half a year, will ag-
gravate the symptoms until it will become
sufficiently evident that the once healthy
and well-fed man has fallen into swift
| decline. At the end OF nine months Brightis
| disease will. in all Droba ability, manifest
| itself. and by the close of the year the IN
fortunate devourer of advertisements Will
lie i'll cold grave, on the stone of which
might be appropriately pasted one OF thess
m IA eutc In tafI ta
story Of his death. This may appear an
exaggerated statement. hat il should be
remembered that the case cited Is purely
hypothetical one, based on the supDosi
ton that the doomed man CONSUME. at
each meal a wafer and, granting this.
that the results above detailed would be
Inevitable. is vouched for by one OF the most
prominent chemical experts in this city.
Nor is the reason difficult to find. There
enters into the composition Of these wafer
advertisements" said the chemist, "a GER
tain amount of dye matter. the one which
l hold in my hand containing red, white,
and blue. with the makers name written
in black printers ink.
There enters into each OF these four lines
a poison which IL it were taken in suf-
ficiently large dose. would produce instant
death. The aggregate Of the four does not
produce a neutral matter. but an intensi-
fed and more powerful poison. the small
est quantity of which produces results
more or less harmful.
The paper OF which the advertisement
is composed is of fine and close texture.
and besides the deleterinus effect produced
by the essential nature Of it's components
(these latter probably hsrng filthy rags
procured in the slums OF one of the large
cities) the fibres Of the paper. being re-
ceived into the stomach. after yielding all
the constituents which have held them to-
gether and which is Immediately assim-
Hated into the blood. form into a mache
which In all probability is retained in the
stomach OF intestines.
THE accumulation OF this matter, with
out any poisonous effect whatever. might
possibly cause death in the course of j
year. except in the case OF a successful
surgical operation But when in contunc-
ton with this result the effect of the col-
glcmerate poison, formed OF the dye COL
ors and printers ink, be taken into con-
the hypothesis that death will
ensue within year upon the patients
swallowing three waters per day is, If
anything. below the mark
In conjunction with the results above de-
scribed, attendant upon the employment
Of paper waters upon bread. may be in
stanced the remarks contained in the re-
cent report of Health Officer ". c. Wood
ward upon the use of metal staples for
tags in meat, rs complained of
by several citizens.
DR.. Woodward says:
"Such staples as those referred to are
in extensive use in this city. They seem
to have originated in the large abattoirs
of the West and are designed to facilitate
the tagging of meat for the purpose of
designating the establishment from which
it comes. Recently they have been adopted
by some local butchers. One such hook is
used for every quarter OF beef and one
for every sheep, calf and hog. 1t is. of
course. the intention of retail dealers to
remove the staples before the meat is sold.
and if they reach the consumer it IS
through oversight.
Their presence in meat as 1t comes to
the consumer is PROFESSIONALLY danger
Gus. and. as appears from the foregoing
statement, the emily protection which the
consumer has is the carefulness of the re-
tail butcher AS shown in the cases of the
two correspondents referred to above, this
is not always sufficient
THAT the use of such staples is rot
necessary is shown by the fact that the
Bureau of Animal Industry does not use
hem in tagging meat inspected b. it.
The o2iy means of protecting the COM
runity against such staples is. in my juds-
nent. to forbid their use. Whether tie
commissioners OF the District OF Columbil
lave authority to do this. either with ref
renee to meat from cattle slaughtered in
his District or from those slaughtered n
'tter jurisdictions, / am unable to say
would respectfully recommend therefore,
hat the matter be referred to the Attorney
or the District for an opinion. and with in
tructiors TO submit, ii he finds that TIE
commissioners have such authority. the
raft OF d regulation to I=cvert the use OF
tapies in tagging meat
1t is proposed BY a number OF citizens.
hould action be taken along the lines srg-
ssted by DR.. woodward in this matter. o
recommend like structure upon similar
buses in trade