The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1912-03-05

| country considerable discussion mas
been precipitated between the agri-
cultural and domestic science depart
ments and the professor of the agri-
cultural department has evolved the
following in his defense of cotton seed
oil as wholesome food and they are
given to the public for the first time
as such:
1. AS to whether or not cotton seed
oil is a wholesome food is a chemical
question, and one which chemists only
can decide. I have written to more
than dozen food chemists, all of
which agree that cotton seed oil is
digestible, wholesome, and nutritive,
and so far as chemical literature
shows, contains no poison. The proof
that it is injurious rests with those
who say it is unwholesome for 1t is
eaten every day.
Q. The oil mill hands use raw cot
ton seed oil extensively with no i'll eff
fects recorded.
3. Probably fifty or seventy-five
million people are now using the re-
fined cotton seed oil as lard subst1
tute, and as oil in salads, with no ap-
parent Ill effect. The demand for cot
ton seed oil is even increasing, and
ninety per cent of it is used as human
food.
4. Physicians are using 1t more and
more as a valuable tissue builder in
cases of sick and thin persons.
5. All the physiological chemists
agree that a liquid fat is more digest
ible than fat like tallow.
7. 1t is cheaper than lard and can
be afforded by the poor. For salads,
it is equal in digestibility to olive oil
and the flavor is preferred by some,
and it is in reach of common people
whereas olive oil is expensive.
s. It is a Southern product and
brings millions to the south. Its
wholesomeness is not questioned by
the public. Why not give it the bene'
fit of it's slow-won reputation?
9. The authorities for the above:
(a) Doctor Bverhert, professor OF
medical chemistry, College of Physi
clans, Atlanta, says, 81 do not think
there is any question but that this oil
is perfectly suitable to human con
sumption. There is no reason physi
logically why it is not as safe food
as animal fat"
% State Chemist of Georgia, also
Food Chemist: 7 do not know that
refined cotton seed oil was considered
Injurious as food. Cotton seed oil wher
refined is described as an oil of higf
nutritive value and no objection car
be made from any hygiene or dietetit
point of view, no trace of poison II
found in the oil"
(c) State Food Chemist of Nortl
Carolina says, There is absolutely nj
objection to its use as food. In bread
making and frying it is desirable, AM
p no objection to it's use in salads"
(d) Doctor H. F. Harris, state boar
of health, says. so far as am awar
no i'll effects result from the use o
cotton seed Oil as food"
1 (e) Professor of Chemistry, John
3 Hopkins, medical chemistry, says: 81
i seems to me that your critic shoul
state wherein it is injurious, or t
4 what impurity its unfavorable 'actio
q is due, for surely he will not clair
i that the oil itself is in any way IL
furious to health. Enormous qualitie
) OF It are used as food, and | seriousl
believe that there is no serious oil
, lection to it's USE"
~ w. D. Bigelow, food chemis
, department of agriculture, Washing
ton, says: while it is not regarded 6
10 palatable as olive oil, think it is col
= sidered a wholesome article of foo
p do not know any reason why fires
cotton seed oil cannot be used IL
same as olive OIL
III (g) Doctor H. W. Wiley, chi
chemist at Washington, says: ut
sweet, wholesome, palatable,and nut
tious." He pleads for us to give 1t
good name.
1 CHI H. T. vulte, of Columbia Vi
versity, New York, says: II have !
knowledge of properly refined colt,
seed oil causing trouble to human b
ings. As you we'll know that cott
seed oil contains considerable dryi
Ii oil which MIGHT nxidira undar tha ~