Year: 1877

/ lime, IN duulLlOD HNe grains per SdilOh "


the free acid. On adding little nitrate
of baryta to vinegar containing sulphuric


acid. a heavy white precipitate will be
Immediately formed.


The sophistications practised upon tea
are large in number and often harmful
in character. The greater part of the
I adulteration occurs in China, but the


English and Americans appear to have
become skillful imitators of the Chinese
in at least some branches of this nefari-


Gus industry. Mineral and organic sub


stances are used to increase the weight
and bulk of the tea; fictitious strength is
impaired to it by the addition of certain


vegetable substances, and pigments are
employed in order to produce desirable
color The operation which is most gen


orally carried on at least in this country,


is the artificial facing" or coloring Of


teas This practice is almost entirely


confined to green teas, of which, it is


said on high authority, but few grades


reach the consumer in a pure state. The


pigments most used for coloring green


teas are Prussian blue, indigo, turmeric


and china clay; the peculiar glossy ap-


pearance they frequently present being


produced by means of black lead, tale,


and soapstone. Other and far more dan


gerous substances, such as arsenide Of


copper, chromate of lead, and Dutch


pink, are said to be sometimes employed.


When hot water is poured upon faced


tea, the coloring matter present often


becomes detached aud either rises to the


top or sinks TO the bottom Of the liquid,


forming a sediment which can be readily


recognized as a foreign body, especially


by aid of magnifying glass.


.. hak ltF


adulterated than any article yet men


toned When sold in the ground state


it almost invariably consists Of mixture


containing little or no coffee and a great


deal OF chicory and roasted grains, such


as peas, beans, rye, and wheat. The ad


dition of chicory is frequently defended


on the ground that il improves the taste
and quality of the coffee; but owing 10
its comparative cheapness, there is
great temptation to use an undue guam
tity of this substance, and unless the
amount of the addition is specified on
the packages (as is required in several
European countries), it undoubtedly con-
stitutes a true adulteration; moreover,
chicory itself is very often mixed with
foreign substances Pure coffee will re-
main floating upon the surface of the wa
ter for some time and fails to impart a
perceptible color to it, whereas chicory
and beans Especially the former at once
sink to the bottom and color the liquid
decidedly. Other substances which also
rise to the surface of the water can be
sasily distinguished from coffee by their
appearance and taste A imple test is to
spread the coffee out on a slip OF glass.
slightly moisten it with water. and then
touch the layer in different parts with
the point of needle; in this way the
presence of soft, non.resisting foreign in
gradients can be easily detested


The artificial coloring of confectionery
also merits consideration, owing to the
important sanitary effects involved One
of the most common and deleteTious sub
stances used in the coloring Of confec-
t onery is chromate OF lead, which is EN-
ployed for the production Of a yellow
color Red, smother favorite hue. is oh
tanned by means of cochineal, but such
poisonous compounds as red lead and
vermilion are also sometimes used for its |
production Green and blue colors. |
which are fortunately less often met with |
are usually produced by means Of Prus-
sian blue, Brunswick green, Scheele's /
green, etc, all of which must be classed /
as dangerous substances. These colors |
csn be obtained by using vegetable dyes /
which are quite harmless; and although |
the tints are then less brilliant, this fact /
is certainly no excuse for resorting to /
poisonous pigments.


In most foreign countries effective /
means have been adopted to expose and
prevent the adulteration of food but with /
Us little has been accomplished in this
direction. In Europe boards of public
analysis are appointed. who carefully ex-
anime suspected articles of food; here
This duty usually devolves upon some
member of the local Board OF Health.
whose time, as rule, is fully occupied
BY other employment. During the last
'ew years our Custom House officials
nave exercised commendable care in re-
gard to the quality of the drugs admit
ed through the customs, and the ques-
lion naturally arises: Should not at least
aqual importance be attached to the sub
ect of the purity Of the food sold by our
,rocers and consumed by our families2