Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-05-02

The public has a right to know all
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 presA
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 It's
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 ablaxe
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 ef.
health Of the men, women and children
residing In them by promising not to
send adulterated food into these COM
mouwealths.
We have not heard Of their saying
anything about sending unit food into
the states where the authorities are
not % honest.
According to all accounts, much DO
racic acid and supplies. as we'll as
many dyes. are used BY packers. and II
n against these preservatives that
many states having honest oficials
have taken action.
The records Of the North Dakota
and Kentucky Pure Food departments
show what has been done In this dlrec'
tion In past years.
We do not know whether boric acid
and supplies are used BY the big Chi
cago packers now or not. 10 city In
epectors have been withdrawn from
the large houses.
Showing the effect Of boric acid and
G the borates. the following 10 repro
duced from pages II and II. Of Part
2, Of the Fifteenth Annual Report Of
q. r. Ladd, food commissioners Of North
Dakota:
q" the use Of borax and
ooric acid interferes with the alb
sorption OF, food and causes the excre'
ton Of an abnormally large amount OF
nitrogen. He believes It In demon
strated that large doses Of bcric acid
reduces the body weight and that the
sxcretion Of these substances from the
body Is 20 slow that their accumulation
In the body 10 probable. BOrax and
boric acid cause diuresls, which may
produce damage Of the kidneys; they
may cause skin disturbances; they
may produce diarrhGa; they interiors
with the abnormal absorption Of food
and they may produce vomiting. The
conclusion 10 that the use Of borit
compounds In food should be forbid
den."
On page ~ Of the same part Of the
came report, the North Dakota food
commissioner has this to say about tht
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 art
employed In these meats. AZ to thu
harmfulness Of these products a recent
article by DR.. Harrington, OF Harv
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
6ulphite; q Dangerous Food Preserva
tive gives the results Of his investi
cations and from this We quote thu
following:
"It 10 classed as food preserva
tive, but Its antiseptic properties are
comparatively feeble. 1t Ia used more
especially ON account Of Its effect on
the appearance Of the food to which II
10 added. its preventative influence be-
ing decidedly q minor consideration. II
confers upon minced meat Chopped
meat) an abnormally brilliant red col
or, which conveys to the purchaser the
idea OF freshness. Persisting as II
does, meat which Is In reality well ad'
vanced In decomposition In 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. 1t may fairly
be said that on account OF Its masking
decomposition, 1t Is an undesirable
admixture'"
Certainly, then. with these facts be-
fore us, we do not believe that the peo.
pie of North Dakota wish to allow the
.ndiscriminate use OF these drugs and
chemicals In their food products"
The following standards are laid
down for food control work, In the
came report, page l3:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon,
dried beef and cured meats should
be preserved ~ smoke, desiccation,