Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-08-25

The extent to which sodium sulphite
is used in h meat industry of the
United States is not suspected by the
public. The methods employed In
using this chemical as a p~reServative
for chopped meat and as a means OF
to cuts of beef are revealed in the fol-
lowing narrative.
In order to suggest to private in
vestigatorS desirouS of ascertaining
the truth just how to go about the
work of locating the trail of sulphites
as it scurries through the retail
butcher trade of the United States, 1
shall set down here in narrative form
the details of one of the many in
vestigations which l have been priv
ileged to conduct in the presence of
scores of professional witnesses.
The results of these Investigations
any individual interested in anne
dates, and court proceedings I shall
be glad to impart confidential in
formation on request.
In the quiet village of r., N.
J., Mrs. c. purchased meat from
her butcher for the purpose of making
meat broth for little baby c.,
two and one-half ear old.
The appearance of the meat, bright
red, finally aroused the suspicious of
Mrs. c. who sent me a sample.
Baby C had been getting meat
broth for three or four weeks, and the
thought that perhaps the pallor of the
child might mean that some subtle,
slow-moving poison was at work
aroused all her mother intincts.
Thus came the sample of meat to
me for criticism.
1t had been doped with .'preserva-
line" This fact was verified by Pro-
fessor George Ferguson of Columbia
University, who found the specimen
submitted to contain ~anhydrous So
dunn sulphite to t he extent of ZIP
per cent, which is equivalent to crys-
tallized sodium sulphite .225 per cent.
The meat had been purchased from
a dealer lin choice meats, groceries,
vegetables, oysters, and clans in sea-
son." doing business on the principal
street of the town, which is one of
the resident suburbs of New York
City to which men who labor in Man
haitian during the day return at night
to sleep.
The textbook used in the College of
Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, "Pharmacology and The
rapeutics," declares:
Symptoms of gastric and intestinal
origin have been produced by ap-
parently small quantities of sodium
sulphite. Even small doses of
sulphite administered daily to ami
mails cause hemorrhages in different
organs and accordingly the use of
sulphites to preserve meat, wine, and
vegetables is condemned.
I'm addition sodium sulphite has lit
tie effect in preserving meat from
putrefaction, although it improves its
appearance"
Following the proof that the meat
sold to Mrs. c., intended for the
food of a delicate baby, contained
sulphites, I journeyed to b and
purchased from the dealer a sample
of hamburger steak. 1t was full of
sulphites.
I then appealed to the local board
of health for assistance. The post
master, who was also the president
of the board of health, after the sit
uation vas explained, entered into
active cooperation with my squad
and summoned the health officer
under whose badge of authority we
took action at once.
DR.. X, a member of the board
of health, was seen. He said: "If
you have found sodium sulphite in
the meat sold in R, go after it.
1t is horrible, most horrible. 1t is an
outrage. We cannot tolerate a cor.
dition here that will produce chronic
anemia. Any ~preservative that will
reduce the corpuscle count of the
blood can end only in disaster when
used in food. Clean up the place"
We returned to the shop where the
sulphited hamburger had been pur-
chased. The following dialogue en-
sued:
I'VE want all the p%reservaline used
in this shop"
eve don't use any pr~eservaline
here. Nothing like that is to be found
in this place"
Come on, produce the stuff or we
will make n search"
The butcher m his clerk looked at
each other, but stood still.
A search was made.
In a dark corner under the counter
"a perforated cylinder of "preserva-