272 [Assembly 



" There is another evil, however, which ought to be men- 

 tioned ; that is, the disorders of the stomach and intestines in- 

 duced by eating semi-septic beef and pork. It is well known to 

 each master of a house, as well as to every master of a ship, that 

 sometimes their salted provisions become tainted or partially 

 spoiled. The expediency or necessity of the case obliges the 

 family or crew to subsist upon this unsound and unhealthy food. 

 Dysenteries, fluxes, scurvies, and similar ailments, are the natu- 

 ral ailments to this kind of diet. Sometimes among the cus- 

 tomers of a country storekeeper, the extent of the sales of his 

 British salt can be traced in the region around ^ by the offensive 

 and disgusting condition of their meat tubs, and the prevalence 

 of bloody fluxes, and other intestinal disorders in those who draw 

 their sustenance thence. 



^ 



^' The loss of property, health, and life, which results from the 

 vitiated and corrupt state of our beef, whether consumed at home 

 or exported to foreign parts, is likewise consequent upon the use 

 of Liverpool salt, or other British boiled salt, to pickle our j^ork. 

 But as pork, from its nature, is less prone to corrupt and emit 

 venomous gases than beef is, andis brought in smaller quantity 

 to market, there is proportionably less damage sustained from its 

 putrefaction, and less injury from its exhalations. But pork as 

 well as beef suffers all that it can suffer in deterioration, from the 

 weak and adulterated material wherewith it is salted. And thus 

 the vessels in the West India trade grow foul and sickly. Their 

 crews contract yellow fevers from the causes existing within 

 themselves, and then the blame is cast upon foreign dominions. 



'' The butter of the New-York market has also been rendered 

 worse, if not absolutely spoiled, by the same kind of salt. Be- 

 guiled by its fine and showy exterior, the citizens have used it 

 extensively in our counties, famous for grazing and dairies. In 

 many cases it has supplanted the old fashioned coarse or sun made 

 salt. Wherever this substitution has been made, it has been with 

 a per.:icious effect. The butter so salted does not keep so well, loses 

 its agreeable flavor, and acquires rather a disagreeable scent. It is 

 less prized by those who are nice in selecting this important article 

 of housekeeping, and it consequently brings a lower price to the 



