New-York tribune., 1905-02-19
STRICT LAWS


not eat faxed" "doped" or "embalmed" food
xt every meal
The tenement dweller for example, in eating
g breakfast Of fish. coffee and bread is most
rkely 10 swallow various quantities of borax, in
shch the fish has been preserved: ground husl1s
- cocoanut and bits Of hog liver that have been
rrec with his coffee; and white earth, mouldy
sour end alum IN his bread.
On the dinner table of the wealthy citizen
counterfeit food also appears in manifold forms
me salad. likely as not is saturated with cot
tcnseed peanut oil. which came from
q bottle bearing a grandiose italian name and
pretending 10 contain the highest grade of olive
oil Mixed in the spices OF the cakes are pow
dsred leaves Of the poplar. maple and elm trees
and ground nutshells. The turkey. if bought
sn the open market. may have been killed four
days or four years ago. having been kept in cold
storage and "embalmed' with acids. Accord
sng 10 statements made by a United States
Senator meat has been offered for sale that mad
been kept 'embalmed'' five years.
At the present time stores IN almost all Ameri-
ran cities are flooded with adulterated foods
They are 10 be found IN most expensive as well
as the cheap establishments. Fortunes are be-
sug made overnight, as ii We're. by unscrupu-
ious manufacturers. who able to cheat the
public by labelling cheap trash "superfine."
not only have beer enacted, but are also en-
forced hosts OF food fakirs" emigating to
shis country TO work here the swindes they
were prohibited from perpetrating in their ma
1ive lands
So Il happens that Germans make beer for
Americans the making Of which in their
try would land them in prison. In America
Frenchmen concoct wines. the making OF which
in France would send them to a penal colony.
and Italians doctor up olive oils which If made
at home would convict them as criminals.
It is not until recently that the people OF this
country awakened to their blindness, and have
come 10 realize that their pocketbooks were
being robbed and their health impaired by food
counterfeiters. The headache that the Arner!-
can business man experienced few hours after
reaching his Office. he used to regard the
suit Of q bad nights rest or a weak stomach or
some other such disability of his constitution
Nov this citizen learns that his distress was
caused by the borax with which the pork chops
ae ate for breakfast had been ''embalrned." He
used TO pay doctor bills for his children with
never a thought that the jelles he bought them
were the cause of their sick spells. Now. he dis
covers that what he purchased at a fancy price
vas only glucose boiled with the sweepings OF
G cider mill and colored with coal tar dyes
PURE FOOD LAWS a FARCE.
As g consequence Of this Indifference Of the
Ererage American to the food he ate the
pure food laws Of most States have become e.
DEAD letter In this State and city the laws are
farce and q mockery. They are rarely en-
forced. Although clear and concise in their
wording they really mean nothing. For in
stance the pure food section of the Sanitary
Code OF this city reads follows
No person shall have sell or offer for sale In
O Wy n W Sc adf1I-
terated. The term feed as herein used shall
include every article Of food and every beverage
used by man. and all confectionery. Food as
tsrein defined shall be deemed adulterated:
la) II any substance or substances has or
have been mixed with II as to reduce or
iower CT injuriously affect its quality or
Strength.
Oh If any inferior or cheaper substance or
substances have been substituted wholly or In
part for the article.
(c} II any valuable constituent Of the article
las been wholly or in part abstracted.
td II it be an imitation or be sold under the
name OF another article.
(el If It consists wholly or in part of diseased
Or oeconposed or rotten animal or vegetable
Substance, whether manufactured or not, or In
The case Of milk, If il is the product of a dis
essed animal.
q II IT be colored. or coated, or polished, or
powdered, whereby damage is concealed, or it Is
made TO appear better than it really is. or of
greater value.
q Ifit contains any added poisonous ingredi-
ent, any ingredient which may render such
article injurious to the health Of the person
Consuming 1t; or If 1t contains any antiseptic
or preservative not evident and not known 70
the purchaser or consumer
II is matter Of common report that every
single provision Of this law is violated thou
sand times over in this city every day Of the
year. And this city is no exception. The in
hsbitants of practically every town in the whole
country are also being defrauded IN the
Tsy.
In consequence Of the widespread and increas-
ing evils Of food adulterat IN the public is at
last becoming aroused. A movement for safe
guarding the health OF the people against the
ever growing food of faxed" "doped" and EN-
nslned" foods has been begun, and it has shown
It's power IN various ways. AT Washington, in
ne Senate. e pure food bill has been intro
olced 70 prevent interstate commerce in mis-
Branded foods. At Albany a resolution has been
ocered in the Assembly. calling upon the State
Commissioner Of Health 10 answer the charge
nat the food laws are hagrantly violated
IN This city DR.. Thomas Darlington. the Health
corrnissioner, is preparing to make special ef-
sris 70 check the sale Of adulterated foods that
ts particularly harmful to health. In a short
cane he VIII shift the departments food analysts
nalsrger and better equipped laboratory, where
ny Will be able TO conduct an investigation
| VI hundreds of samples which have already
Ntn bought IL groceries and markets in al
! s<fls q the city. Hitherto. the Commissioner
sss this branch Of the department has been
| s@lcieapped from lack OF room and funds In
us new addition TO the East 16th-st laboratory
@ food analysts Will have the necessary room
tH he expects that the Board Of Estimate will
ul1t him the money. The results of this work
u most likely cause a panic among many
~ufecturers and dealers, and may result in
snerous prosecutions.