Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-04-25

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
err 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 obllge the pack
ers, has added fuel to the fire. and
next year will see the country ablaze
upon the subject.
The ,,ure food department Of Illinois.
like the health department Of Chicago.
has rested suplne. while other states.
like Michigan. North Dakota. Pennsyl.
vania and Kentucky have taken great
pains to protect their citizens.
And the packers appreciate the ef-
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
0onWeAlths.
We have not heard Of their saying
anything about sending unit food into
the states where the authorities are
not 20 honest.
According to all accounts, much bo-
racic acid and supplies. A. we'll a.
many dyes, are used BY packers, and It
- against these preservatlves 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 boric acid
and supplies are used by the big Chi.
cago packers now or not, 40 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spectors have been withdrawn from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 II. Of Part
2. OF the Fifteenth Annual Report Of
e. r. L.add, food commissioner Of North
Dakota:
= Z" the use Of borax and
boric acid !nterferes with the ab.
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 bcric acid
reduces the body weight and that the
excretion OF these substances from the
body Is 20 slow that their accumulation
IN the body Is probable. BOrax and
6eric 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 Is that the use Of bOric
compounds in food should be forbid.
Gen."
On page IL OF the same part Of the
same report, the North Dakota food
commissioner has this to say about the
use Of sodium sulphites In meats:
'Our own studies with sausages and
hamburger steak indicate that from
90 to O.30 per cent Of sulphites are
employed In these meats. AS to the
harmfulness OF these products recent
article by DIR. Harrington, of Harry.
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
Suiphite; a Dangerous Food Preserva.
tive gives the results of his investi-
cations and from this We quote the
following:
"'It Is classed as a food preserva.
tive, but its antiseptic properties are
comparatively feeble. 1t Is used more
especially on account Of its effect on
the appearance OF the food to which Ii
IL added, its preseryative influence be.
Ing decidedly minor consideration. II
confers upon minced meat Chopped
neat an abnormally brilliant red col
or, which conveys to the purchaser the
Idea OF freshness. Persisting as it
does, meat which is In reality we'll ad.
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 0d0r. 1t may fairly
be said that on account Of its masking
decomposition, 1t 10 an undesirable
Certainly, then, with these facts be.
fore us, we do not believe that the PEG.
pie Of North Dakota wish to allow the
'ndiscriminate use OF these drugs and
In their food products."
The following standards are laid
iown for food control work, In the
ame report, page l3:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon,
Tried beef and cured meats should :
V preserved ~ smoke, desiccatlo
alt and sterilization only. La