The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-14
Food Adulterants Are Being Tried ON
Twelve Young Men, who Will Sub
NIT for Six Months.
STRICT PRELIMINARY PLEDGE
DIR. IN. w. WILEY, GOVERNMENT
CHEMIST, THE SUPERVISOR.
Experiment. Was Planned I'm Interest
of the Public Henlth-No Serious
Risks to Be Permitted.
Correspondence of the Indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence Of the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, ID. C, Dec. "a
Oh. maybe this bread contains alum and chalk
or sypsHm in Po%der about Which they talk
Terra alba just out OF the mine;
And our faith In the butter IS apt TO be weak.
For we haven't .,, good place ace, to pin IT,
Oh. wish L could know what Is in IL!
DR.. H. ". Wiley. keeper of Uncle Sans
free boarding house. which opened its doors
or Monday, is poet. AS did Ragueneau.
he charms the ear with verse while tickling
the palate with victuals. That quoted above
is one of the stanzas of an original poem
which this scientific boniface recited to me
while conducting me through the unique
establishment over which he presides.
And the verses were particularly apropos
in view of the fact that each of the board
ers at DR.. wiley's tables is to play the
role of apothecary's cat during the nexs
six months. From their sacrifice that
rather important element of society, the
eaters of food and quarters of drink. are
sooner or later to profit.
The story of the inception Of Uncle Sans
free boarding house is this: The reading
public has learned that practically all COM
mercial foods are more less doctored for
purposes OF adulteration preservation.
Chemists and hygienists throughout the
world have the most varying opinions as
to the effects Of these materials upon the
digestion and general health of the con-
sumner. Investigations already made have
been entirely partisan. So there is no SCI
entific information, one way the other.
DR.. Wiley, as chief OF the Bureau of
Chemistry. Department Of Agriculture has
analysed practically every food common
to our commerce. He has prepared long
list of substances used as preservatives.
coioring matter. leavening agents and these
added to pure food for any purpose what
soever. he knows the proportions in which
these substances are commonly used. Az
you are probably eating these materials
daily 1t will interest you to know what the
more important ones are. Here Is the list
furnished to me by DR.. Wiley: Salicylic
acid, borax, boracic acid, suiphites 6hd
sulphuric acid. benzoits and bensoic acid.
sacharin, formaldehyde, alcohol. salt, pyro-
ligneous acid-the sum products OF the
burning Of wood. as contained In wood
smoke nitrate of potash chlorine. formic
acid and the huorides. Among the most Inn
portant Of the coloring agents are vege-
table colors. such as annatta. and especially
the coal tar cclors used In butter. cream.
sausage and preserved meats; also socin.
used to dye vegetables and fruits red.
Among the leavening agents used by bak-
ers are bicarbonate of soda, phosphorus
acid and cream of tartar.
GOVERNMENT BOARDING HOUSES.
Failing back upon the philosophy OF the
old adage. "The proof of the pudding il in
the eating" DR.. Wiley lately decided to
feed these substances to men, afterwsrd
to subject these same men to chemically
pure food alone and then to compare re-
suits. During the past few weeks he has
been busily engaged in converting the base
ment floor Of the Bureau of Chemistry into
as complete boarding house as any
thrifty widow ever kept. He applied TO
the Civil-service Commission for a cook
and waiter. and that employment agency
supplied two colored gentlemen whose re-
spective duties are to prepare the doctored
food in true waldorf-Astoria style and
serve 1t without the least betrayal Of the
secret constituents which lie hidden under
its seductive truffies and sauces. The
young ladies employed In the bu-
reau ransacked the department. stores.
and as the result Of their many
effective bargain counter touchdowrs the
dining room and kitchen were equipped
with true feminine economy. The doctors
office was stacked with bales of linen and
canton flannel. which he told inouisitive
visitors were TO be used as mortuary wrap
pings for his victims. He issued call for
volunteers and soon found himself over
whelmed by a correspondence with indi-
viduals the city over who hungered for the
free viands OF his tables. OF these scores
of applicants he finally selected two dozen.
The majority are employees OF his bureau.
All are connected with the Department OF
Agriculture and are students Of science.
Women and married men were barred.
the former because the conditions of en-
listment were such as to entail them en-
barrassment the latter because the doctor
deemed II unsafe to attempt 10 divorce
them from the board OF their better halves.
fearing that sentimental reasons might
tempt them to kick over the traces. For
each OF the accepted volunteers had to sign
this pledge:
I'VE, the undersigned, hereby agree 70
take our meals for a period OF at least six
months at the table 10 be prepared I'm the
Bureau of Chemistry. Department Of Agri-
culture. for the purpose OF ascertaining the
effects of certain preserving substances
commonly used in foods upon digestion.
we deTct 10 lOllOW the fuieS anu fekuit-
tons prescribed for this experimental
study TO make the observations required.
and during the period In which the study
is continued will promise TO take food
OF any description except that which is
provided at the table mentioned IL ss
agreed that the time in which under
observation shall not occupy more than
half of the whole time. and that during
the remainder OF the time we are permitted
to take our meals at another table TO be
provided by the Bureau OF Chemistry. at
which ordinary foods in ordinary quanti-
ties will be served"
On Monday six OF the twenty-four sgnerH
of this pledge entered upon their six
months OF free board. DIR. Wiley called
them together and stated the rules which
they were pledged 10 respect.
Total abstinence from alcohol is de-
manded by one OF these rules The wine
must not be looked upon when IL Is red.
the beer when IL is amber. nor. verify. the
cold bottle when II pops and effervesces.
The cheering highball and the seductive
cocktail. too. are things Of the past so long