The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1914-03-25
BLEACHED FLOUR.
Lexington Herald

Lexington Herald.
We have withheld comment on the
decision by the Supreme Court OF the
United States which sent the tleached
four case back for re-trial, until oppor-
tunity to read the decision in full. The
decision was heralded throughout the
country as blow. to the pure food law
and as victory for the owners OF the
bleaching patent and the millers who
use it. An examination OF the opinion
shows that the Court disagreed with the
trial Judge who held that the Act pro-
hibits the addition of any and all iDjuri
Gus substances to the goods regardless
of The amount. The decision of the
Supreme Court is TO the effect that it is
for juries to determine, upon the evil
dence submitted, as to whether the
added poison will render the article in
furious TO health. 1t has been impossi-
BILE for the physiological chemists of the
country. 10 agree. IL has been, SO far,
i'm possible for the courts to come 10 any
agreement as to the application of the
law. If such questions are to be finally
determined by the juries, the Federal
and State departments Should issue a
regulation requiring -four TO be plainly
labeled showing when il IS bleached, the
substance with which it has been bleach
ed, and give all consumers opportunity
to be their own jurymen
Whatever uncertainty in the law or
I'differences between the experts, there
can be no honest reason why consumers
should not be told when flour is bleached.
Six years ago, DR.. Wiley, as result
of investig atoms made by several OF the
State pure food departments and the ex-
perts in his own bureau, and after in
quiry throughout the milling trade, came
TO the conclusion that artificial bleach
ing, with nitrous acid gas and similar
chemicals, was detrimental TO both the
food value of the flour and to health.
After six years of delay, the Supreme
Court of the United States decides that
the national pure law was SO drafted by
Congress as 10 require that if nitrous
acid or other poisonous substances is put
into food product, il is necessary to
show actual injury 10 health before the
added poison can be prohibited.
1t is impossible, Of course. TO show
cnnh irap aAi mi Tho littla
of formaldehyde in the milk, boraic acid
in the meat, butter, or cream, the ben
zoate of soda in fruits and vegetables,
tho fluorides, salicyiic acids. SUPPLIES,
known in medicine and pharmacy to be
deleterious in effect, do not cause stom-
ach ache or similarly acute conditions
all at once, but may, like the little drops
of water, keep on wearing, wearing, un-
til the most rugged constitution is af-
fected And, as the biscuit, the sausage,
the pint of milk. the spoonful of catsup
or the spread of jelly must each be
brought before the court for considera-
ton. it is impossible for any one TO
know, or prove, just what the effect is.
with strong assumption that there is
little or no effect unless too many bis.
cults or too many links of sausage, COW
ering of period of years. are eaten, all of
which, however, are held to be inmate
rial as far as particular biscuit or a
particular link of sausage are concerned
under the law. The one biscuit is i'm
material from the standpoint OF health.
The owners of the bleaching patents,
and some of the millers, have hailed the
decision with great joy. No invention
of recent years has contributed so much
advantage and profit TO the milling in
dustry as artificial bleaching The mil
Ter has been troubled with damp wheat,
inferior wheats. and red Western wheats,
and the competition for whiteness has
been acute. Furthermore, -four spoils
after it comes from the mill. The
bleaching process was a remedy for all
these evils. and, in addition. enabled
the miller to produce a larger percent
age of patent, whittier flour, ard sell for
higher prices. When DR.. Wiley took up.
the question, therefore, the milling art
was rapidly becoming a. matter of the
most skillful in the use of the bleaching
gas. DR.. Ladd, of North Dakota, made
many experiments, coming to the con-
clusion that bleaching injured the bak-
ing quality of the flour and was other
wise questionable. His experiments were
confirmed by Drs. Winton and Mitch
ell, working in the Federal laboratories
DR.. Shepherd, State Analyst OF South
Dakota, investigated and reported that
the bleaching retarded digestion. Sec
rotary Wilson gave the millers and the
owners of the bleaching patents a hear
ing in Washington, and he. with Dr.
Dunlap and Mr. McCabe, agreed with
DR.. Wiley that bleaching should be pro-
hibited. With this authority DR.. Wiley
went to work to enforce the law. Seiz-
Hures were made in the Federal courts.
Certain cases were selected for trial, and
in each instance. with experts for both
sides, the millers, and the soul of the
case before the court, both the Judge