The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-16
KEEP OUT WATER
DR.. Crumbine Opens War on
the Oyster Men.
Dealers in Luscious Bivalve
Treat 1t Shabbily.
TOO MUCH LIQUOR"
Destroys the Flavor and Cheats
Customers.
Secretary Board of Health Tells
What He Found.
TOO MUCH LIQUOR"

When the housekeeper buys a quart
of oysters, she often finds that about
third of the quart is composed of what
is called liquor"
What is this ''liquor?"
The state board of health has just
discovered that "liquor'' is merely by
drant water-or melted ice-put IN
either by the jobber or retailer for the
purpose of sing profits.
The person who buys quart of oy-
sters for so cents usually pays out
Just about II cents for common water.
The Investigations of the board
show that this condition exists not
only in certain localities, but is gen.
eral all over the state. This being the
oyster season, 1t is the right season or
the year to know about the oyster
business.
There is no doubt that the 'liquor"
in oysters is one of the most fragrant
species of food adulteration which Is
at present being perpetrated upon the
public. 1t is SO common that most peo-
pie think the liquor" is really an es-
sential part of the oyster, and comes
right out the oyster shell. Liquor" is
carefully added as a valuable 1ngred-
lent of oyster soup. 1t is merely Just
so much water. slightly favored with
oysters, and it never saw the place
where oysters grow.
When the jobber gets a consignment
of oysters, that consignment is solid
meat-provided the jobber himself is
not swindled. The common practice
of tobbers is to add three gallons of
water to every seven gallons of oys-
tiers. They say they do this so that the
oysters may float around and be han
died more easily. But they also admit
that this result would be accomplish
ed by adding one gallon of water to
nine gallons of oysters
The jobber delivers the oysters to
the grocer or butcher, and the grocer
or butcher adds az much water "as
the trade will stand That is the
technical term for the adulteration.
Sometimes the only additional water
is what comes from the cake OF Ice
which is kept in the oyster tub, osten-
sibly for cooling the oysters. But some
retailers actually pour in more water,
and increase their profits just as much
as possible without getting a kick from
customers who think they are entitled
to more oysters and less of the prec- |
iou5 liquor"
Other Abuses of the Oyster Trade.
S ]. Crumbine, secretary of the Kan |
sas state board of health, who gives |
the above information. has been max |
ing careful study of the oyster situa- |
ton in Kansas. He has gone to head |
quarters of the oyster trade for his in |
formation, and has studied methods OF |
oyster culture, and methods of hand |
ling for market. He said today:
The people who gather oysters have |
They do one thing which is called |
floating When the oysters are taken |
from the ocean, they are placed in fresh |
water for some time. The oyster drinks |
up the fresh water greedily. and in a /
few days increases in weight about 25 |
per cent. The increase is simply wa |
ter. but the oyster looks fat and lus-
cfous. In this shape the oyster is ship |
ped, but il very soon breaks down, and |
the water 'bleeds' out.
81 have investigated the manner in |
s,,f- -H4 G~,I
that the tubs are often in a bad sani-
tary condition. Oyster jobbers have |
frankly told me that they merely wash |
out their tubs with a hose, and that |
in a filthy condition. Wooden oyster |
tubs can not possibly be kept in a
sanitary condition, and the modern
method of packing, which some are
adopting, is a closed porcelainlined car
rier, packed in ice.
"Jobbers make no secret of the fact
that they add water to oysters. and can
sell oysters to retailers either solid |
ter which is added to oysters is of
kind which tends to make the delicate
bivalve break down and decay quickly,
thus causing the many cases of |
ptomaine poisoning which are reported
from oysters.
"Oysters in cans. while they are kept
free from dirt, are adulterated with
water, and even then the so-called quart
cans do not hold full quarts.
Epidemic of Green Oysters.
There seems to be an epidemic Of
green oysters in Kansas. Several speci-
mems have been sent to me from differ
ent parts of the state. These oysters
are of such peculiar, vivid green that
they attract attention. I had one sucI
sample analysed by Prof. Bailey of the
State university, and another by Prof
Willard of the State Agricultural COL
1ege. and both chemists found the greer
color to be due to an excessive amount
of copper. 1t is not quite clear where
the copper comes from. 1t is possibly
due to natural causes, owing to tba
beds from which these oysters come
s'Sone have reported cases Of sickness
due to these green oysters but whether
the sickness is due to the copper in th.
oysters, or to ordinary ptomaine poison
ing, have not been able to satisfac-
torily determine"
Will Start an Oyster Campaign.
DR.. Crumbine announces that he is
to squeeze" the water out OF
the oysters of Kansas, and keen it
squeezed out He will try to apply the
rules prohibiting the adulteration of
food to the oyster proposition.
The oyster jobbers may come back
by raising the price of oysters a propor
tionate amount to the quantity of wa
ter squeezed out.
Il am trying to squeeze the excess
water out of Kansas butter" said DR..
Crumbine, and while 1 am at 1T
might as well squeeze some out of the
oysters
Ton of Dynamite ExpIodes.
Monroe. Mich, Jan. 16.-An Italian
workman was killed and another bo5