Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-12-20
THE QUEST OF SWEETNESS.
BIZ FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Washing on, D. c.. Dec. 1S.-All the world
is in need Of sweetening. All over the world
men are trying to devise new ways Of produc-
ing that sensation on the tongue which we
know as sweetness, and to which we have all
become addicted through the habitual use OF
sugar.
This need for sweetness opens up vast pos
sibilities of fraud. 1t is important that you
should know the truth about sugar and sugar
substitutes.
Sugar is primarily valuable and neces-
sary food. 1t is carbohydrate The carbo-
hydrates are converted into energy more quick
ly than anything else you can put into your
body. That is why candy warns you so quick
ly in cold weather, why you crave sweet things
when you are cold. and when you are doing
hard physical work.
Incidentally sugar Is sweet. That is, what
We call sugar is sweet. But not all that is su-
gar is sweet, and not all that is sweet is sugar
The sugars are large group Of substances
numbering several dozen, all Of which are
made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. and
all OF which have somewhat the same food
value. Most Of them are more or less sweet.
but not all OF them. Lactose, or milk sugar,
is hardly sweet at all. Maltese and glucose
are rather sweet. The sweetest of them all is
sucrose. which is found in sugar cane and in
the sugar beet and is the common sugar Of
commerce.
few generations ago, sucrose in the form
Of dry white graduated sugar, was unknown.
People had maple syrup, molasses, sorghum
syrup and other sugars in the syrup form, but
the process of crystallizing and refining sugar
had not been invented.
With the invention Of this process, the use
Of sugar, that is of crystallzed sucrose, became
very general. The stuff was so convenient to
use. We began putting spoonful of sugar
on this and into that. All cereals, most fruits
raw and cooked, all hot drinks. and many other
things must have sugar sprinkled over or dis
solved in them. II 1t is not used, we miss the
taste Of sweetness.
This sweetness has nothing to do with the
food value Of sugar, since many substances
that are not sweet have the same food value.
Sweetness Is merely a sensation. and chemists
do not know how it is produced. 1t Is a
mystery.
But we have become addicted to this taste
of sweetness. Many people. knowing little
about the food value of sugar. thinksof 1t as
a condiment, like pepper. They think they are
using 1t almost exclusively for its TASTE
The physical sensation known as sweetness
may be produced by other substances than
sugar, or sucrose. Glycerine, for example. is
known as sodium benzosulphinide Is also very
sweet-many times as sweet as sugar. 1t Is
mace from coal tar. This drug Is the one COM
monty known as saccharin.
The question Of saccharin Is delicate one
Just at present. Saccharin is being manu-
featured and sold quite extensively In this
country. Its manufacturers claim, and rightly,
that it is very efficient sweetener. They do
not claim that it has any food value. They do
claim that it is harmless In the. quantities in
which 1t Is necessary to use 1t for sweetening
food. Therefore, they say, 1t Is a logical sub
| stitute for sugar. These manufacturers have
advertised extensively, and have conducted the
fight for their product with great frankness
and intelligence.
The bureau of chemistry, department OF
agriculture, has taken stand opposed to the
use Of saccharin. 1t now has a case pending
| against the manufacturers of saccharin which
| is to come to trial soon. But the government
cannot prevent the manufacture and sale OF
saccharins 1t can only prevent its sale unde,
misleading names. or with misleading state
ments on the package, either pure or in manu-
featured products The question whether
saccharn is to be used, therefore, is really up
to the public, and publicity ia the effective
weapon Of both sides IN the controversy as tc
! its merits.
| The manufacturers Of saccharin claim that
the drug is harmless, and the department Of
agriculture claims that it Is harmful. Where
lies the truth?
Some years ago the government brought
suit against makers Of saccharin products ant
referee board was appointed to decide wheth
er saccharin was harmless. The board report
ed that saccharin was harmless II not more
than three-tenths Of gram per day is used
but that in larger quantities it might harm tht
digestive functions
This leaves the layman as much in the darl
as ever. 1t may be said, however, that no one
would use as much as three-tenths of a gram
OF saccharin in sweetening his food, in one
day. The manufacturers are right, therefore
in saying that the amounts of pure saccharir
which you would use in sweetening your foot
would not hurt you.
But the government points out that if, tn,
bars are. let down, saccharin, because it /!
so cheap, will be used, in sweetening all sort
Of things. Our soft drinks and candies viii
be made with saccharin instead OF with sugar
The government contends there is a possibilit,
that more than three-tenths of gram of sac
charm a day would be used by many individ
uals under these circumstances. large par
Of the population might ultimately have IT.
digestion impaired