The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-10-18

/ the others isbors, brt 1t Ia certain that
the medicinal properties of benzoax-@
the active principle of benxcic acid-E7as
been known since shortly after the Eliza
bethan era The use of this substance as
preseryative for foods, however, was
not attempted, nor perhaps known, until
decade ago. Manufacturers of food
lproducts who had been using the acetic
| acid and spice method cast about for an
equivalent that would perform the de-
sired service with fewer of the draw
backs Of the earlier or home method,
and it was suggested that benzoic acid
could be "cut" or neutralized with soda
Exhaustive experiments were carried on
along these lines, and after two years
several firms decided to make use of H.
This took place in 1890, or nearly seven
years before the adoption OF the present
Food and Drug Law.
"Benzoic acid, then, we have learned.
is actually the vital natural substance
contained in certain minor fruits and
vegetables, that acts as a preservatlve
against decay When combined with
soda and applied to any vegetable or amir
NAL substance, its action is precisely the
same as in its natural state and place
it arrests the process of decay. The
quantity necessary adequately to prevent
the process of fermentation which 10
actually DECAYS very small, and it ct
fcctually prevents the development of
bacteria, destroying these should they
find entry In the form of benzoate Of
soda this preservative is white crys-
talline substance, and it is colofless,
lodorIess, and practically tastelesS. That
which is used in foods Is obtained from
toluene, coal-tar product. The inn
preston which has been fostered to the
effect that it is obtained from hippuric
acid is erroneous Such benxoic acid is
too expensive for commercial use, and
is of German production. Importers
state that not an ounce is sold in this
country for use in foods. DIR. HI w.
Wiley has stated Tn so far as know,
none of this particular kind of benzoic
acid is used in foods
Many Scientists Quoted.
Further list of all the experiments
that have been made along these lines IS
given, and it is at once apparent that of
the 12S authorities quoted, not one
found any harmful effects from ben
zoate of soda, but each, on the contrary,
upholds its use as the only certain, safe,
clean and harmless substance to use in
connection with either home or factory
preserving
AS further evidence that popularity
distributed information is not all it pre-
tends to be, Food Preservation cites
the work of DR. HI. w. Wiley, the Gov
eminent chemist, who has declared
against benzoate of soda 1t has been
generally supposed by the uniformed
that Dr. Wiley spent many long and
arduous years of toll investigating this
preservative but the facts, as given by
the doctor himself, show most plainly
that his work along this line was con.
fined to one month, and that he made
no attempt to go deeply into the mat
ter. We also find that the much quoted
expression, when experts disagree"
SINNERS down to the fact that DR..
Wiley, with his brief and incomplete ex-
pertinent, is ranged on the one side, and
that four of the greatest scientists this
country has ever known, Professors Rem
sep, of Johns Hopkins University; Chit.
tenden, of Yale; Herter of Columbia,
and Long, of Northwestern, with their
long and painstaking investigation eS-
tending over four months, on the other
Also that these latter are amply and
definitely supported by such eminent men
as Professor Edward Kremers, of the
University of Wisconsin; Professor F.
S. Kedzie, of the Michigan Agricultural
College; Professor Victor C. Vaughan,
of the University Of Michigan, and many
] others of high scientific authority