Evening star., 1900-12-15
SAD NEWS FROM ST. GALL.
wide Use of Aduiterants In Food aud
Drink Reported in Switzerland

FROM the New York Sun.
Some weeks ago an American consul I'm
Germany conveyed the suggestion to the
State Department that the annexation of
the republic of Switzerland to the United
States would be very desirable thing for
the former. and that there were many per
sens In Switzerland who were not adverse
TO a change of allegiance from the Helve-
ttan to the American republic. Very little
attention of serious kind was given at the
time to the suggestion, but 1t found some
supporters among those who have come to
regard the little Alpine republic as an idyl-
nc constituency, in which jals are few
acts OF violence infrequent, and the ex-
penditures of the government nominal
Ihis encouraging view of the case is
however. rudely overthrown in a communi-
cation sent to the State Department by the
American consul. Mr.. De Boise at St Gall
switzerland. Who while eXtolIing the purity
ana excellence of American meats and
fruits. cereals and canned goods declares
that the adulteration of food is general In
Europe, and that in Switzerland laws
against it have had to be adopted. He
points out that the slot machines have in
creased the consumption of chocolate and
that accompanying it there has been q cor
responding increase in mutton tallou saw
dust and potato meal, three adulterants.
Honey, of which the Swiss have long been
proud. Is deprived of some of its fame
though manufactures for the making of
artificial honey, the chief ingredients of
which are syrup. meal and cornstarch. Swiss
cheese Is mixed with potatoes ground to a
powder butter Is adulterated with carrot
juice. Bread. which furnishes 40 per cent
of the nourishment of the people of the
Swiss republic, Is mixed with potato meal
and the dough Is soaked heavily with water
tt add to the weight of each loaf With
coffee. tanbark, sawdust, stove rust and
ch!cory are mixed; and auulterantS for
tea, linden, sage and strawberry leaves are
@ Df 10 = Her an
to the detriment of the consumer
The chemical analysis of the beer sold in
Switzerland proves, it Is asserted. that the
following ingredients added substi-
tute for malt and hops: Potash, vitriul of
iron alum, licorice linSeed solution of tar
tar, poppy heads. guinea grains, camomile,
pine sprouts. chicory, henbane and wild
cherries. 1t has often seemed to many per-
sons in the United States that the notions
to adulterants used In beverages and
food preparations must be exaggerated for
the cost of the articles used. generally ex-
pensive chemicals, is known to be greater
than that of the harmless ingredients which
they replace. and If the beer of Switzerland
contains all the ingredients named by the
consul it would seem that a like reason
for incredulity would exist there. The con-
sui explains the apparent paradox as fol-
lows:
These substances enable the manufac-
turers to produce beer cheaper. ard some
of them helps to make 1t heavier and more
stmulati ting. From the large quantity con-
sumed it would seem that this is what some
people demand; consequently the supply"
Wine Is freely drunk in Switzerland. and
there is a large demand for alcoholic bever-
ages there. The American consul in st.
Gall declares that "some of the wine that is
consumed has never contained drop of
grape juice" and man of the liquors. he
adds, contain hardly drop of the genuine
article. Potato syrup dissolved I'm rain water
makes, he says, a salable beverage and the
desired color and bouquet are obtained by
mixing wine acids with cream of tartar"