Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1907-12-28

about the doings Of the corporations
that furnish 1t with food. They are
dealing In the kind Of public utili.
ties that mean life or death. In ct-
tanning this knowledge, the public ex.
poets to be enlightened from the re.
ports OF State Pure Food Commission.
ers and the columns Of the press.
Next year Is the presidential year,
and on every stump the packers and
their records will be held up to the
public eye and given to the public ear.
The failure Of the government In its
attack on the Beef Trust because the
packers turned states evidence on
themselves and were granted an i'm.
munlty bath In consequence, has NOT
been forgotten by the people, and the
great rise In the price OF meat has
tested the patience Of the voters to the
limit.
The withdrawal Of the City Of Chi
cago inspectors from the big packing
houses. presumably to oblige the pack
crs, has added fuel to the fire, and
next year will see the country ablaze
upon the subject.
The pure food department Of Illinois
like the health department Of Chicago
has rested suplne. while other states
like Michigan. North Dakota, Pennsyl
vania and Kentucky have taken great
pains to protect their citizens.
And the packers appreciate the ef.
forts Of these states to protect the
health Of the men, women and children
residing In them by promising not ia
send adulterated food into these com.
mOnwealths.
We have not heard Of their saying
anything about sending unfit food into
the states where the authorities are
not 80 honest.
According to all accounts, much bo.
raclc acid and sulphitcs. as well as
many dyes. are used by packers. and II
Is against these preservatives that
many states having honest officials
have taken action.
The records Of the North Dakota
and Kentucky Pure Food departments
show what has been done In this dlrec.
tion In past years.
We do not know whether borlc acid
and sulphites are used by the big Chi.
cago packers now or not, as city In
spectors have been withdrawn from
the large houses.
Showing the effect Of boric acid and
Of the borates, the following 10 repro
duced from pages II and ~, Of Part
2. of the Fifteenth Annual Report Of
Il. +. Ladd, food commissioner Of North
Dakota:
:" the use Of borax and
borlc acid interfercs with the alb.
sorption Of food and causes the excre-
tion Of an abnormally large amount Of
nitrogen. He believes It is demon.
strated that large doses Of bcric acid
reduces the body weight and that the
excretlon Of these substances from the
body Is 80 slow that their accumulation
In the body Is probable. Borax and
boric acid cause diuresls, which may
produce damage Of the kidneys; they
may cause skin disturbances; they
may produce diarrhea; they interfere
with the abnormal absorption Of food ;
and they may produce vomiting. The
cnaclGsion Is that the use Of bOriC
compounds In food should be forbid.
ty-n-
On page i2 Of the same part Of the
Mns report. the North Dakota food
commissioner has this to say about the
us. m sodium sulphites In meats:
Our own studies with sausages and
hamburger steak indicate that from
Oo0 10 O.3O per cent OF sulphites are
employed In these meats. As to the
harmfulness OF these products recent
article by DR.. Harrington, Of Harv'
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
Sulphlte; a Dangerous Food Preserva'
tive gives the results of his investl'
cations and from this we quote the
following:
"'It Is classed as food preserva
tive, but Its antiseptic properties are
comparatively feeble. 1t is used more
especially on account Of Its effect or
the appearance OF the food to which II
Is added, Its preservatlve influence be-
ing decidedly a minor consideration. II
confcrs upon minced meat Chopped
meat) an abnormally brilliant red col
or, which conveys to the purchaser the
idea OF freshness Persisting as II
does, meat which Is In reality well nd
vanced In decomposition IL readily dis
posed of as perfectly fresh, for although
the number of bactera per grain may
run as high as 500 millions, 1t may
give of no marked Odor. 1t may fairly
be said that on account of its masking
decomposition, 1t is an undesirable
admiXture.'
Certainly, then, with these facts be-
fore us, we do not believe that the peO-
pie of North Dakota wish to allow the
indlscrlminate use Of these drugs and
chemicals In their food products"
The following standards are laid
down for food control work, In the
same report, page 49,:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon,
dried beef and cured meats should
be preserved by smoke, desiccatiOn,
salt and sterilization only.
Sausages: Sausages are finely div,
ed or hashed meats mixed with spices
n