Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-04-11

L ne PUBIC mas right W hhVN "i
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 OBJ
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.
This 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.
munity 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.
ers. 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 supine. while other states.
like Michigan. North Dakota. Pennsyl-
vania and Kentucky have taken great
pains to protect their citizens.
And the packers appreciate the eff
forts Of these states to protect the
health Of the men, women and children
residing In them by promising not to
eend 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 SO honest.
According to all accounts. much bo'
racic acid and supplies. as well MS
many dyes. are used by packers. and 1t
10 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 direc.
ton In past years.
We do not know whether boric acid
and supplies 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spectors have been withdrawn from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 Is repro
duced from pages II and u, Of Part
n Asnnnol RnDOrf nj
Il. +. Ladd, food commissioner OF North
Dakota:
"s the use OF boraX and
borlc acid interferes with the alb
sorption Of food and causes the excre
ton of an abnormally large amount OF
nitrogen. He believes 1t Is demon
strated that large doses Of bcrlc acid
reduces the body weight and that thu
excretion Of these substances from the
body Is so slow that their accumulation
in the body Is probable. Borax ant
boric acid cause dIuresis, which may
produce damage Of the kidneys; they
NAV cause skin disturbances; they
may produce diarrhGa; they interfere
with the abnormal absorption Of food
and they may produce vomiting. TIT
conclusion IL that the use OF bori'
compounds In food should be forbid
DEN"
On page l2 Of the same part Of thu
same report, the North Dakota foot
commissioner has this to say about thu
use Of sodium supplies In meats:
"Our own studies with sausages ant
hamburger steak indicate that fron
90 to O30 per cent OF sulphites ar
employed in these meats. As to tn
harmfulness Of these products recep
article by DR.. Harrington, Of Harv
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
sulphite; a Dangerous Food Preserya
tive gives the results OF his investi
cations and from this we quote tn
following:
"It Is classed as a food preserva
tive, but its aniseptic properties arr
comparatively feeble. 1t Is used more
especially on account OF its effect OF
the appearance Of the food to which !
Is added, its preservative influence be
Ing decidedly minor consideration. j
confers upon minced meat Chopped
meat) an abnormally brilliant red col
or. which conveys to the purchaser the
Idea OF freshness. Persistlng as Il
does, meat which Is In reality well adj
yanced in decomposition Is readily dis
posed OF as perfectly fresh, for although
the number Of bactera per grain may
run as high as 800 millions, it may
give off no marked odor. 1t may fairly
be said that on account Of its masking
decomposition, IL Is an undesirable
admixture'"
Certainly, then, with these facts be-
fore us, we do not believe that the peo'
Pile OF North Dakota wish TO allow the
.ndlscriminate 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 l3:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon
dried beef and cured meats should
he preserved w smoke, deslccatlon
salt and sterilization only.
Sausagcs; Sausages are finely diva