The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-26
WRITTEN FOR TIE SUNDAY REPrRLIc.

WRITTEN % THE SUNDAY ~REPURLIr
Paul Pierce. editor OF What TO Eat" the
Chicago magazine which advocates eiucs-
tion on the food subject. was IN ST Louis
a few days ago. He is always in earnest
when he talks On fraudulent food products.
- should Ike 10 see on our statute
books said Mr.. Pierce. a comprehensive,
practical measure for preventing the sale
or manufacture Of impure foods,
And food Inspection should be removed
from the field OF politics.
There are limitations. frauds and adai-
~terauous. Food articles are mixed with
substances that injuriously AFFECT their
purify.
Inferior substances are substituted for
the genuine article.
Valuable ingredients are extracted from
the reai products. The true article is I'M
lated and sold under another name.
ingredients are added which are poison
Gus or Injurious 10 health.
1t requires only a passing familiarity
with state legislation to realize the mad
equacy OF State laws 70 protect the people
from food frauds These laws not Only
lack harmony and coordination, but they
seldom are enforced
such statutes as We have are made the
footballs Il party polite machines. Men
are appointed as food inspectors some 81
whom could not detect an adulteratiou or
a deleteriOus food substance II they were
permitted TO look AT 1t through the most
powerful microscope
Even thouVh they did detect il. the ques-
ton Of political effect often overshadows
all considerations OF public health
The food with a pull Is never moles;ed
under State law. no matter hgT deieterio-s
or spurious. Food frauds or adulterations
which are shipped from one State TO an
other ran never be reached except through
a rigid and wel-organiZed system Of Fed
erai inspection.
The work Of purgins the markets q this
country OF deleterious foods and adulterat-
ed food products should be vigorously in
The extent TO which human rapacIfy
VIII go in the poisoning Of humanity was
revealed In the investigation Of the milk
supply In New York City. conducted by the
Rockefeller Institute.
According 10 the carefully prepared re-
port 81 the Rockefeller Institute. the milk
red 10. the people OF New York was a men
ace TO the public health
''BacterioloEists found that the milk was
not only adulterated. but polluted The IN
Vestightors did not stop with vague gen
eraliZations regarding the danger lurking
in Impure milk. but actually TRACED 80 out
breaks OF epidemic diseases 10 polluted
Analyses OF the mix furnished the 7s-
tents OF a Chicago hospital show the milk
TO cause or hasten the death OF sick per
sons.
had complained Of the milk. and had de-
clared upon numherless occasions that is
tasted fuTny
~Fofmaiin IS a chemical used in hospitals
f1r fpmiEatinE purposes because OF its
deadly character. because 8; Viu keep
milk from curdllnS or turning sour. how
ever. milk dealers have been known TO use
IL extensively
Just as astounding as these revelations
is the statement made by the Assistant
Feed Commissioner OF Illinois. IN an ad-
dress before the Retail Merchants Asso-
citation Of the State. to the eject that he
had heated four slaughter houses for
horses. mules and donkeys in Chicago.
Real beef IL never handled In these
places said the Assistant Food Commls-
sioner. 'hut their delivery wagons run TO
markets. restaurants and free-lunch sa-
looms With great regularly
And the Young. well-fed healthy horse.
o. donkey is too valuable 10 Re worked up
into Hamburger steaks and sausage in Chi
cago. according 10 the Assistant State Food
Commissioners.
a prominent New Englander informs
me that II Is Impossible To sell genuine
maple sirup n many parts OF the country
Tor the reason that Il is 50 different from
that which the public has been educated
10 believe 10 be the pure article