Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-07
DEPARTMENT EXPERT
USE OF METAL IN FOODS NOT IN
FURIOUS.
Erroneous idea That Copper Cooking
Vessels Cause Poisoning-Success-
full Experiment at Butte.

charge of the laboratory of plant phySi-
oOgy of the Department of Agriculture, to
a Star reporter today. I'VE stand by what
we said in the first instance. that copper
can be successfully used in reservoirs. and
there is no use allowing water to remain
contaminated with typhoid bacteria when
ii can be thus dsintected.'
DIR. Moore then referred to a mass of re-
ports and communications on his desk In
reference to the use of copper ana us
prevalence in certain foods, as well as the
popular prejudice against it. A report from
the Massachusetts board of health states
that it's investigation revealed two grains
of copper to the can of peas and other
"greened vegetables. without known in
furious results to the consumers. Referring
to this report, Dr. Moore said 1t would
take person three years, drinking a gal
Ion of water every day, to consume that
amount of copper the way the water supply
would usually be treated, and provided all
the copper put in the solution remained.
But the amount put in the water is con-
sumed by organic matter and in two or
three days it is all gone. Generally speak
ing. he added, there are from 100 to SOU
times as much copper in wheat and other
grains as would be added to public water
supply.
Another report was from the health Off
GER at Bradford Pa, on legal prosecu-
ton there for the sale of "coppered Vege-
tables The officer said:
There is no more reason for the prohibit
ton of the sale of coppered vegetables
than there is for the sale of fruits, vege-
tables. shellfish. cereals and mineral wa
ters, wines and animal flesh. If such pro-
hibition were enforced it would result in
starvation
No Injury in Copper.
The opinion of English judge in
similar prosecution was next cited. He
said
This community has been using green
peas for thirty-sX years, and the trade has
reached 20.G0O,OO6 tins (cans). and no case
of injury has been substantiated.
Brandy, olive oil, coffee. oXens flesh all
contain copper beef liver containing from
ffty-six to tifty-eight parts. Quoting from
Lehman's experiments on the lower ami
mails in connection with those carried on
upon his pupils it seems to be affirmed
quite positively that daily doses of the va
rious copper salts, containing from ten to
thirty parts in a million, is not likely to
cause the least disturbance.
"In water diSinfecting," said DIR. Moore,
''one part to million would be used
y report of Prof. Tschirch, the noted Ger
man authority. shows, it is said, that the
compound is not harmful, and that its pres
ence in canned goods of one hundred to
million parts! of copper oxide, should be
made legallytallowable.
DR.. l.. NJ. V. Galippe. in a report on the
subject of cooking in copper vessels, says:
THE practice is devoid of the dangers
usually attributed to it. For fourteen yea rs
1 had all the food in my family cooked III
copper vessels, and the diet was varied
possible.
mo trouble was experienced by any one
though there We're certain Inconvenience
as some of the food turned green and others
would absorb enough of the metal to give
a feeble metallic taste
To prove that the glycerophosphoric acid
capable of forming a poisonous compound
with copper, DR.. Galippe mixed milk and
eggs in a copper pan and heated and stirred
il until the mixture was of the consistency
of cream, and then allowed it to stand
twenty-five hours.
At the end of this time that part of the
mixture in contact with the pan was
green from the action of the air and sour
ance of the mixture was by no means
agreeable, and its taste very far from
being so. Nevertheless, states the re-
port, lit was eaten with no bad results"
Poisoning Due to Ptomaine.
Much of the so-called copper poisoning
according to DR.. Moore is due to pto-
maine which gets into the cooking uten-
sis, and not to the copper. He said the
statement that copper vessels were dis
carded because of the so-called conner
poisoning was erroneous. They were dis
cafded because enamel ware came in
vogue and is very much cheaper than
copper, which is dear metal. The change
was made as matter of economy.
mere nave been many cases of poisoning
Or. Moore. added, from the use of enameled
ware, as they contain a certain amount of
arsenic and lead.
ReVert1ng to the use of copper for disin-
lectnS the water supplies of cities and
towns, DR.. Moore showed the reporter A
communication he has received from the
health officer of Butte Mont. where the
authorities are treating algae in the water
with copper ~
For the first time in ten years" states
the cCmmunica ton. 1.-The water is absolute
~ pure which was turned into the city
mains. We had quick results. The trouble
from vegetable organisms in our reservoirs
dates back to 1870. and we have gone to
enormous expense trying to eradicate the
evil. We feel grateful to the Department
of Agriculture for doing in two weeks at
an expense of less than 500, what We have
oeeh trying 10 do for the past fourteen
years at the cost of many thousands of
dollars"
Other Successful Treatments.
Another.report stated that the water in a
Maryland school reservoir of 10, O0O. 900 GAL
Ions was successfully treated with copper.
DR.. Moore referred to the treatment of
coli at Elmira, N. Y. Coli he said. Indicate
the presence of sewage in the water. 1t Is
indicates the probable presence of tynboid
germs. Before treatment of the water wifi
copper at Elmfra. there was positive evil
dence OF the presence OF this organism
Thirty-six hours after treatment this ba =.
cillus could not be found
typhoid germs added DR.. Moore oare
| more susceptible to copper treatment than
COLL therefore If the coli were gone nee
ess&rlly the typhoid germs were gone also
Inc copper treatment has been used suc-
cessfully at Cambridge. N Y There are
ABOUT nfty other places where copper sul-
phate Is being used in the water sunnlias
or IS In process of being so used
| Several Washington physicians are kpou,n
| 10 use copper in their practice for intestine
| troubles. DR.. Moore stated and for othsr
| ailments brought about by causes similar
| 10 those of typhoid. The Chinese use con-
| per cooking vessels because thew decIa ra
! the cholera devil cannot abide within
| them. An epidemic of cholera at Indianan,
| oils a number of years ago is said to ha,ra
! been suppressed by the liberal use of con,
| per sulphote after all other disinfecta nts
| had been exhausted by the authorities ara
| II Is said the employees of copper mills ara
| immune from cholera -
| several years ago whole cargo -,
| grapes was dumped into New Yorl, harho,
| because the fruit had been treated with
| mixture of sulphate of copper and l;ma !.
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