Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-02-29


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'
meets to be enlightened from the re-
1prts of state Pure Food Commission
ers aud the columns of the press
This year is the presidential year.
and on every stump the packers ana
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. ana the
great rise in the price of meat has
tested the patience of the voters 10 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
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 so honest.
According to all accounts. much DO.
raclc acid and supplies. as well us
many dyes. are used by packers. ana 1t
n against these personalities 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.
tion In past years.
We do not know whether borlc acid
and supplies are used by the big CHI
cago packers now or not. rs city In
spectors have been withdrawn from
the large houses.
Showing the effect Of boric acid and
Of the borates. the following II repro
duced from pages IL and IL. Of Part
2. OF the Fifteenth Annual Report OF
r. F. Ladd, food commissioner Of North
Dakota:
"s the use OF borax and
boric acid interferes with the ab.
sorption Of food and causes the excre.
ton Of M abnormally large amount OF
nitrogen. He believes 1t Is demon.
strated that large doses Of bcric acid
reduces the body weight and that the
excretion Of these substances from the
body Is 10 slow that their accumulation
In the body 10 probable. Borax and
boric acid cause diuresis, 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
conclusion IL that the use Of borlc
compounds In food should be forbid.
den."
s.. On page I? Of the same part Of the
same report. the North Dakota food
commissioner has this to say about the
use Of sodium supplies In meats:
"Our own studies with sausages and
hamburger steak indicate that from
90 to 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
sulphite; a Dangerous Food Preserve
tive gives the results OF his investi'
cations and from this we quote the
following:
lit Is classed as food preserya.
tive, but its antiseptlc properties are
comparatively feeble. 1t Is used more
especially on account OF its effect ON
the appearance of the food TO which II
Is added its preservatve influence be-
ing decidedly a minor consideration. 1t
confers upon minced meat Chopped
meat an abnormally brilliant red col
or. which conveys to the purchaser the
idea of freshness. Persisting as 1t
does, meat which Is In reality well adj
vanced in decomposition Is readily dis
posed OF as perfectly fresh, for although
the number of bacteria per grain may
run as high as 800 millions, 1t may
give of no marked odor. II may fairly
be said that on account OF its masking
decomposition, 1t is an undesirable
admlXture'
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 ID:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon,
dried beef and cured meats should
be preserved 6y smoke, deslccatlon,
salt and sterilization only.
Sausages: Sausages are finely diva
ed or hashed meats mixed with spices
opd naynrinO They NAV he cooked Or