Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1908-03-28

dealing In the Kind or public utlll-
ties" that mean life or death. In OBJ
calming this knowledge. the public ex.
lscts 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.
eago 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. white 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.
0onwealths.
We have not heard Of their saying
anything about sending unfit food into
the states where the authorities are
not 20 honest.
According to all accounts. much no.
racic acid and supplies. as well ms
many dyes, are used by packers. ana II
- 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 dlrec-
ton In past years.
We do not know whether boric acid
and supplies are used by the big Chi
eago packers now or not. as city In
spectors have been withdrawn from
the large houses.
Showing the effect Of boric acid and
o. the borates, the following Is repro
duced from pages II and II, OF Part
2, Of the Fifteenth Annual Report OF
z. r. Ladd, food commissioner OF North
Dakota:
"s the use OF borax and
ooric acid interferes with the alb
sorption Of food and causes the excre'
tion of an abnormally large amount OF
nitrogen. He believes 1t Is demon
strated that large doses Of beric acid
reduces the body weight and that the
excretion OF these substances from the
body Is 70 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 diarrh9a; they interiors
with the abnormal absorption Of food
and they may produce vomiting. TIT
conclusion IL that the use OF borl'
compounds In food should be forbid
den"
On page l2 Of the same part OF tn
came report. the North Dakota foo<
commissioner has this to say about TIN
,ase Of sodium supplies In meats:
"Our own studies with sausages ant
hamburger steak indicate that fron
90 to O.3O per cent OF sulphites ar
employed in these meats. AZ to tn
harmfulness Of these products recen
article by DIR. Harrington, Of Hary
ard Medical College, entitled Sodium
Sulphite; a Dangerous Food Preserva
tive gives the results Of his investi
cations and from this We quote tn
following:
".It ID classed as food preserya
tive, but its antiseptic properties ar
comparatively feeble. 1t Is used NOR
especially on account OF its effect o.
abe appearance Of the food to which
IL added, its preventative influence bt
Ing decidedly minor consideration.
cOnfers upon minced meat (choppe
meat an abnormally brilliant red col
or, which conveys to the purchaser tn
Idea of freshness. Persisting as
does, meat which Is In reality well ad
vanced In decomposition In readily di'
posed OF as perfectly fresh, for althoug
the number of bacteria per grain ma
run as high as 800 millions, 1t ma
give of no marked odOr. 1t may fairl
be said that on account OF its maskin
decomposition, 1t Is an undesirabl
odmixture.'"
Certainly, then, with these facts be
fore us, we do not believe that the pee
pie of North Dakota wish to allow tn
.ndiscriminate NE Of these drugs ant
chemicals In their food products"
The following standards are LAID
down for food control work, In thu
same report, page ID:
Preserved meats: Ham, bacon
dried beef and cured meats should
be preserved ~ smoke, desiccation
salt and sterilization only.
sausages: Sausages are finely diva
ed or hashed meats mixed with spices
and havoring. They may be cooked OF
ssnn<-oks6 and ayo uauaIlv apca aa1 In