Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1902-05-08
POISONING THE PEOPLE
LEAD IN SODA WATER
FROM The SHOPPERS
The Board Of Health Condemns the
Article on Report Of Food Com
missioner ShOrey to
Committee.

Food Commissioner Shorey made a
report on lead in soda water bottle
shoppers to Drs. Sloggett and Moore, a
committe of the Board of Health, in
which he tells of finding in four bot.
ties of lemon soda made by the Con-
| sOlidated concern the following
amounts of lead respectively: O.O339
grains, 0.ll57 grains, O.O6l7 grains and
O.O632 grains. On this finding he COM
ments:
I'm each case the inner side of the
stopper was found coated with crys-
tails of lead salts amounting to several
milligrams.
1T is evident that the amount OF
| lead which will be found in solution
as a result of using stopper of this
kind will depend on the character OF
the water. the length of time II re-
mains in the bottle and the amount OF
agitation to which II is subjected.
Considering the well known cumula-
! tive action of lead when taken in small
/ quantities in food and drink ! do not
think there is much room for argument
on this question"
Mr.. ShOrey explains, in the begin
ming of his report. the cause of his
having drawn attention to the matter.
| thus
! THE shoppers reported in my report
| for March were new and unused. OBJ
! tanned from the Hawaiian Soda Works.
This style of stopper known as the
Hutchison stopper is in use by all the
soda water manufacturers here with
the exception of the Fountain Soda
Works. | have been informed by peo-
/ pie In the business that the original
. Hutchinson stopper is free from or con-
tains very little lead but that the
patent on this stopper having run out,
shoppers of this style are made by sew
eral firms, and that many of these imi
tatiOns are cheaper and contain large
amount of lead in the coating. A rep.
resCntativc Of the Consolidated Soda
/ Water Works has informed me that
( since having his attention drawn to the
/ matter he has found that they have in
use both the genuine and the cheaper
/ substitutes, and that they have discon-
tnued the use of shoppers which they
/ know contain lead, and intend to dis
! card all such which are in use as soon
/ as they can be recalled"
In concluding the present report the
| Food Commissioner calls for Condem-
nation of this mode of poisoning the
people. saying:
The situation briefly, seems to me
to be as follows: Certain soda water
manufacturers here, are selling aerateL
waters in bottles stoppered with stop,
pers containing so large an amount Of
lead that sufficient lead Is dissolved b!
the contents OF the bottles to be in
furious to the health of those drinking
the waters; a number of other styles Of
shoppers can be used which are moi
open to this objection. and have good
reason to believe that shoppers of the
same style can be obtained at a greater
cost which are free from this objeC.
ton.
IL think the Board of Health should
require soda water manufacturers &c
discontinue the use OF shoppers of Q
character such that the contents of the
bottles are liable to contamination
with lead.
"Aerated waters containing leac
come within the definition of adul
tcrated food in Sec. Sd, Act, 81, Scs
sion Laws, 1898.
1T may be well to note in this con
nection that lead in soda water ma!
, be derived from other sources than thu
stopper. Citric and tartaric acid
sometimes contain lead, and imperfec
washing of the gas may result in tn
presence OF lead from the sulphuri
acid used in the generator"
At yesterdays meeting the Board o
Health adopted Mr.. Shoreys report
~