New-York tribune., 1907-01-13
PROSPECT OF PURE FOOD.
Nefarious Practice of 4dulteration
Should No1U End.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor Of The Tribune
sir: AS our new Pure Food bill is now In force.
IL Is to be hoped that the nefarious practice Of
unscrupulous merchants adulterating foodstuffs
is at end
me greed for gain among many of our mer-
chants was so great that they deemed 1t abso-
lutely essential TO .sduiterate food, SO as to be
able to compete with other aduIterators The
new law cSmpels the labelling OF all articles
OF feod. consequently the consumer must pay
need TO the labels If he desires to be beneited.
Coal tar colortng matter Is prohibited. The
new law, however, allows innocent vegetable
coloring matter. 1t IS singular that anv person
should desire food artifcally colored, as color
ing matter Is absolutely devoid OF any food
vaiue; II does not enhance the flavor or improve
the article colored in any manner whatever ex-
cept to please the eye. The new law prohibits
the use Of all preservatives except salt sugar
wood smoke. alcohol. the outward application
of borax or boric acid. and saltpetrs pending
further investigation. A label must be attached
to articles preserved with borax or boric acid in
forming the purchaser of the fact with IN
structions how to remove the preventative prior
to consumption.
The pure food regulations however. state
the preservative applied must be OF such
character that until removed the food product
is inedible. ] cannot conceive what food pre-
servattve would make an article inedible until
it was removed. except SALT as all salt cured
products are inedible until they have been par
boiled or soaked to remove the excessive amount
Of salt I cannot believe the regulation refers
to salt although It is conceded by scientists that
salt has tendency 10 cause cancer. It IS a fact
that salt has caused many poor soldier and
sailor to be afflicted with scurvy. and that too
much OF It is deleterious to the human system:
nevertheless could not dispense with the use
Of salt for preserving pershable articles Of food
1t has been stated that borax and boric acid
are harmful preservatives. In all OF my re-
searches. however, have been unable to find
authentic case of boron preservatives ever in
juring persons who have partaken OF foods pre-
served with these mild substances.
Every day we read of persons IN various
parts Of the country having been poisoned from
ptomaines. In the last thirty days, according to
the press there have been 800 cases of ptomaine
poison In the country. The 1udicious use OF
boron preservatives would prevent such cases.
The danger which confronts mankind is not
from preserved food, II is food that has not been
preserved SO as to prevent the propagation Of
toxic germs that is deadly menace to mankind.
Our health depends upon the materials we
eat, drink and breathe. Our food We select
according TO our desires; water is more diff
cult to select; the air we breathe must be taken
into the lungs wherever we are. We have no
choice of air when in crowded, close
quarters or in narrow, stuffy streets. Our food
must be thoroughly masticated, to pre-
pare IL for the action of the gastric juices when
II enters the stomach. The copious drinking
of liquids at meal time diutes the gastric
Juices that they cannot perform their functions
until some of the liquid is eliminated. Our sys-
TENS require from four to five pints OF water a
day. II should be drunk however on arising.
between meals and prior TO retiring. Our
breathing IS more important TO health than our
food and drink consequently more attention
should be paid to ventilating properly our public
institutions railway trains. streetcars. homes,
etc. The open air treatment that has proved so
successful In curing consumption should con-
vince Of the value OF ventilation and fresh
air. II we could regulate our diet as 10 re-
pair all waste as fast as II occurs believe we
could live to be old Methuselah-
AS science. however, has not advanced SUM-
ciently to balance our rations so to repair al
waste will have to content ourselves by OBJ
serving the simple rules Of thorough mastica-
tion drinking pure water, sleeping eight hours
day and ventilating our places of abode. sleep
ing apartments, etc. thoroughly.
BY so doing certainly could live to enjoy
our threescore years and ten which is said 70
be the allotted time given to mankind.
II. II. LANGDON,
New York, Jan IL, 1907 Food expert