The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-18
A PURE FOOD TOWN

Allyn, then a teacher in Boston, to
try to work out a plan which would
present chemistry in practical and
interesting way Mr.. Allyn proved
equal to the emergency. The first
chemistry lesson of the new term
taught how to take a stain out of a
white dress. Interest in the depart
ment revived at once. Everybody
wanted to know how to take out
stains, and stains were experimental
upon until the wardrobes Of the stu
dents of the State Normal School at
Westfield were spotless. Then Mr..
Allyn taught the girls how to make
lavoring extracts.
They made their own vanilla and
almond and lemon favors and sent
them to the kitchen and then criticized
the pies and cakes in which they were
used Then they began to dye cloth,
and their wardrobes blossomed forth
in many colors. BY this time chemistry
had become popular subject, and
when the dyeing lessons were followed
/ by analyses of foods it became diff
ficult to keep the pupils out of the
laboratories. Professor Allyn invited
the pupils to bring foods for expert,
ments. Every article served in the
school was tested, and the girls began
to purchase special articles from the
grocery drug and candy shops. The
results were fascinating-and start
ling. One girl who brought a jar of
her favorite brand of raspberry jam
for analysis found it to contain in
ferior apples, colored with coal-tar dye,
and favored with ether! delightful
connection known as a tart proved to
be puff-paste made with alum, with a
jelly center dyed with coal-tar!
Some Of the Facts.
There were other discoveries.
Cream" proved to be ordinary milk
evaporated to one-half it's bulk
Vanilla" contained wood alcohol,
which is not particular nutritious
I beverage.
Pure whisky" contained burnt
sugar, prunes and fannie acid The
flavor of this delectable compound was
strengthened by oil of sweet almonds,
sulphuric acid and ammonia.
strawberry jam" proved to be ap,
pie stock and coal-tar dye. The pupil
who analysed this compound found
some apparently genuine seeds in this
mixture. A bit curious, she planted
and tended them carefully, and the
class shared her delight when the tiny
green shoots developed into hardy
clover!
But perhaps the unkindest cut came
in the testing of sweets. Nearly al
the candy tested revealed coal-tal
dyes. The labarotory became gay
with cloths dyed green, yellow, blue
and pink from the delectable, tooth
some bits of which the girls we're 81
fond. And then there were seriou,
discoveries concerning drugs. One
pupil, whose mother had died suddenl!
and ineXplicably, brought to the la
boratory some headache tablets which
had proved soothing to her mother OF
various occasions and which she ha,
taken on the day of her death. Al
analysis revealed acetanilid in quaint
ties large enough to have cause,
death, This discovery made a Pre-
found impression upon the girls On
by one they brought their favorit
powders, pills, and tonics to the labora
tory. Almost all of these shove,
traces of poisons that are sure to hav
a permanently injurious effect. TIL
girls at Westfeld banished drugs.
The Effect Of Analysis.
This was practical chemistry, but /
was the kind of chemistry that coul
not be confined to the classroom. Tn
students of the school who resided il
the town warned their mothers of in
pure products as soon as they dis
l covered them, Grocers, confectioner
and druggists were perplexed at tn
sudden falling off of a demand for on
kind of goods and the sudden increas