Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-01-18

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.
. ars and the columns of the press.
This year is the presidential year.
aud 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.
llNc lue utl'sii Va NhiNt-'s
has rested supine. while other states.
ike Michigan. North Dakota. Pennsyl.
vania and Kentucky have taken great
pains to protect their citizens.
And the packers appreciate the Of.
forts OF these states to protect the
health OF the men, women and children
residing In them by promising not to
send adulteratcd food into these com.
monwealths.
We have not heard Of their saying
anything about sending unit food into
the states where the authorities are
not so honest.
According to all accounts. much 10.
.aclc acid and supplies, rs well rs
many dyes. are used by packers. and 1t
is against these prcscrvatives 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 drec.
tion In past years.
We do not know whether boric acid
and sulphites are used by the big Chi.
Sago packers now or not. as city In.
spectors have been withdrawn from
the large houses.
Showing the effect Of borlc acid and
OF the borates, the following II repro
duced from pages II and II. OF Part
2, Of the Fifteenth Annual Report Of
Y. F. Ladd. food commissioner Of North
Dakota:
80 the use OF bOrax and
borlc acid interferes with the alb.
sorption Of food aud causes the excrc-
ton OF an abnormally large amount Of
nitrogen. He believes 1t IL demon.
stratei that large doses Of bcrlc acid
reduces the body weight and that the
excretion OF these substances from the
body II 20 slow that their accumulation
in the body Is probable. BoraX and
lboric acid cause diuresls, which may
produce damage Of the Kidneys; they
may cause skin disturbances; they
may produce diarrhGa; they Interfere
with the abnormal absorption Of food ;
aud they may produce vomiting. The
conclusion Is that the use OF boric
compounds In food should be forbid
len."
On page I2 of the same part OF the
same report. the North Dakota food
commissioner has this to say about the
use Of sodium sulphitcs In meats:
Our own studies with sausages and
hamburger steak indicate that from
O.2O 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 Harry.
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
Sulphite; a Dangerous Food Preserva-
tive gives the results of his investl-
cations and from this we quote the
following:
"It IL classcd as food preserva-
ike, but its antlseptic properties are
comparatively feeble. 1t Is used more
especially on account Of It's effect on
he appearance of the food to which II
IS added, its preservatlve influence be-
ing decidedly a minor consideration, II
confers upon minced meat Chopped
meat) an abnormally brilliant red col.
or. which conveys to the purchaser the
idea Of freshness. Persistlng as II
does, meat which Is In reality we'll adj
vanced 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, 1t may
give OF no marked odor II may fairly
De said that on account of Its masking
decomposition, it Is an undesirable
admixture'
Certainly, then, with these facts be
fore US, we DO not believe that the peo
ple OF North Dakota wish to allow thu
!ndlscriminate Use of these drugs ano
chemicals ia their food products"
The following standards are lald
down for food control work, In thu
same report, page 10:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon
dried beef and cured meats shonl
be preserved ~ smoke, desiccation
salt and sterilization only
sausages: Sausages are finely div a
Vi or hashed meats mixed with spices
and havOring., They may be cooked OF
unccoked and are usually encased II