The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-18
Local Market,
BENzOATE OF SODA
RETARDS DIGESTION

Indianapolis, May 1S.-The testimony
in the benzoate Of soda case being tried
before u. S. Master-in- Chancery Dan
iels took a technical turn today when
J. H. Brewster, chemist of the Indiana
state board of health, took the stand
submitting in evidence certain labora-
tory experiments which he had per-
formed to show the effect of benzoate
of soda in retarding digestion. These
experiments showed striking differ
ences in the action of the gastric juice
upon plain foods and those in conjunc-
ton with which benzoate was admin
'istered. Test tubes were presented in
which the white of egg was entirely
digested when subjected TO the action
or the gastric juice alone while the
tubes in which the benzoate of soda
had been added in amounts of from
l-2O to $40 of per cent showed vary
ing quantities Of undigested egg al
bumen, the proportion increasing in
ratio with the percentage of benzoate
of soda added. These experiments, the
defense claims, indicated just why the
taken such a unanimous stand against
the use of benzoate of soda as food
preservative.
Mr.. Brewster's testimony also dealt
with the errors made by the Roosevelt
referee board appointed to investigate
the benzoate question. His calculation
was made from the original notes of
DR.. John H. Longs experiments, and
showed that the report of DR.. Long,
as incorporated in the findings of the
referee board, contained errors ranging
all the way from per cent to 1000
per cent and that as a consequence
1t is unworthy of serious consideration
as a scientific document. DR.. Long it
VIII be remembered, placed himself on
record in this report as not being op-
posed to the use of benzoate of soda.
In certain prepared foods, and 1t is the
1eel1ng Of the defense that the testi-
mony of Brewster renders DR.. Longs
innings of very little value.
l. V. Miller, analytic chemist OF the
Indiana state laboratory of Hvsiene
In his testimony for the defense. an
s"ered the present day cry of the food
dopers that non-users of benzoate of
"a oDASSd 10 HlBnIy spice their
ketchup that more harm is done by
thelr products than comes from ketchup
containing benzoate of soda, the wit
ness ascertaining that such was not
the effect. Miller was one of the labor
atory's squad of seven men who ate a
oottle of ketchup day for seven days,
and In analyzing results he was es-
pecially watchful of the effect of the
spices on the squad. He testified that
the combined effect of the spices in
thirty-one bottles of pure ketchup
would not produce any more harmful
effect than would the consumption of
one bottle preserved with lilo of i per
cent of benzoate of soda.
w. ID. McAbee, assistant chemist of
the state board of health, testified as to
analyses made of ketchups picked up
in the open market by the boards in
spectors over Indiana, some put out.
by advocates of benzoate of soda and
some by pure food makers. He said
he found so per cent more tomato solids
in the pure ketchup than in the ketchup
in which benZoate of soda was used.
thus establishing the claim of pure food
makers that pure ketchup is invariably
superior to the kind that is drugged.