The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-10-19

the others iabors, but It i, certain that
| the medicinal properties of benzo!,--
the active principle OF bcnzoic ac,d-has
been known since shortly after the Eliza
bethan era The use of this substance IS
preServative for foods. however. vas
not attempted, nor perhaps known. until
decade ago Manufacturers OF food
products who mad been using the ac.,ic
acid and spice method cast about io- II
equivalent that would perform the &C.
sired service with fewer OF the draw
backs OF the earlier or home mctEod.
and 1t was suggested that benzoc acid
could be cut or ncutTaized with soda.
Exhaustive experiments were carried on
along these lines. and after two years
several FIRMS decided TO make use o. L
This took place IN 1869. or nearly seyea
years before the adoption of the present
Food and Drug Law,
"Benzoic acid, then, we have learned,
IS actually the vital natural substance,
contained ii certain minor fruits and
vegetables. that acts as 4 pTescryatve
against decay When combined with
soda and applied 20 any vegetable or an,-
nal substance, its action IS precisely lie
same as In IFS natural state and place
IT arrests the process Of decay. Ihe
\
the process Of fermcniation-whch 8
actually DECAYS very small. and it ef-
tectually prevents the development OF
bacteria, destroying these should they
hnd entry. In the form of benzoate Of
soda this preservativc IS 4 white crys.
talllne substance. and it is colorless.
odorless, and practically tasteless That
which IS used in foods is obtained from
toluenc, i ooal-tar product The NJ
preston which has been fostercd to ,hc
effect that it is obtained from hipouric
acid is erroneous. Such bcnzoic 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 Dr. H. w.
Wiley has stated In so far as | know.
none OF this particular kind OF benzolc
acid is used in foods"
Many scientIsts Quoted.
Further list of all the experiments
that have been made along these lines IS
gwen. and 1t is at once apparent that of
the I25 authorities quoteu, 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 n
connection with either home or factory
preserving
AS further evidence that popuiarW
distributed information is not all it pre-
tends TO be. Food Preservation cites
the work OF DR., II. w Wiley, the Cow
ernment chemist. who has declared
against benzoate OF soda 1t has been
generally supposed by the uniformed
that DIR Wiley spent many long and
arduous years of toll investigating this
preservative, but the facts, as gwen by
the doctor himself. show most plainly
that his work along this line was con-
hned 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 cx-
pertinent, is ranged on the one side, and
that four of the greatest scientists this
country has ever known. Professors Rem
sen, of Johns Hopkins University; Chit
tenden. of Yale; Hcrter, 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 ard
definitely supported by such eminent men
as Professor Edward Kremers. of the
University of Wisconsin; Professor F:
; Kedzie. of the Michigan Agricultural
College: Professor Victor c Vaughan,
OF the University Of Michigan and many
Others Ok high scientific authority.