The Washington herald., 1911-12-24
FOOD ADULTERERS
TO BE OSTRACISED
DIR. Wiley's Suggestion Re-
ceiVes Wide Support.

One of the most interesting demon
stration at. the National Congress of
Domestic Science, held in New York,
was given by Prof. Breithut, who had
charge of the booth occupied by the
College of the City of New York.
Prof. Breithut went out to a soda
fountain and bought some strawberry
sirup. His trained eye told him the
cOloring was not of the strawberry
fruit. His chemical analysis proved his
eye correct. With the coloring he dyed
a babys underskirt a bright red and
hung it on a clothesline in the booth for
all to see. Above the shirt he he hung
a sign giving IN bold letters a quotation
from DIR. Wiley. which states:
1T is evident, it seems to me, that
the very best remedy for the evils of
food adulteration would be the creation
of a public opinion of a character
which would require persons engaged
| in food adulteration as without the
pale of ethical. moral, and polite So
ciety.-H. w. Wiley"
Under the sign the members Of DR..
Breithut's City College classes were
busy following Dr. Wiley's tenets to-
ward creating such public opinion.
! Milk, supposed to be adulterated, was
brought to the booth. A drop of chlor-
| ide of iron. and strong sulphuric acid
were added to ii. Immediately II
showed a strong purple color. which
was proof positive that it contained
fOrmaldehyde. deadly poison which is
used in embalming cOrpses.
Next. one of the visitors brought to
the booth a bottle of substance labeled
Pure Olive Oil" student added to
| this a solution of carbon bisulphide
and sulphur dissolved in AmyI alcohol.
1t was heated in a salt solution and
thereupOn the product turned from
yellow to dark red showing il to be
cotton seed oil instead of olive oil
And there were hundreds of other
such tests. a silver instrument was
dipped into a can of peas and it was
coated a bright copper color. showing
the peas to contain COpperas. az other
deadly poison.
InnumerabIe candies were four to
be sweetened with the dangerous ach-
arin. called "the chemical of magical
sweetness" because one pound of it
is as sweet as $50 pounds of sugar.
Saccharin is said to be the principal
cause of Bright's disease.
Much of the gelatin on the market
was shown to be nothing more than
glue. reduced to a less stage through
chemical treatment. Such gelatin is
often employed in the manufacture of
cheap ice creams. and ice cream cones.
Enough glue was extracted from these
| kinds of products to make a chair
! back. legs. and all-and 1t is very
substantial chair, for the glue possessed
exceeding tenaCity.
But one of the most interesting Of
the revelations was the unearthing OF
an entirely new adulterated lampblack.
1t was found in licorice. 1t was shown
| in the booth of the National Food
Magazine. and it was declared that
much Of the stick licoriCe on the mar
ket was made of lampblack. and much
| of 1t contained no licoriCe al all.
There was strawberry jelly that con-
! tanned no strawberry, vanilla fiavOeS
! that contained no vanilla, orange
| drinks to which the orange was a
! stranger To blackberry and straw
berry prOsorTrs mad Deon added millet
seed 70 initiate the seeds OF the berries.
Fishes in cold storage since last year
were shown to have had their eyes
frightened with chemicals, and their
! fins painted. so as to make them look
as If they had just been brought from
! the water.
State and city departments OF weights
and measures were shown all kinds
! of devices for cheating the housewife.
| One of the strangest contrivances here
! shown is a pointed piece of lead en-
| ployed for stufing into chickens to
make them weigh more. When the
| butcher dresses the chicken he STEALTH
! fully removes the lead with the en-
| trails and it is not noticed by the pur-
| chaser