Sixteenth Annual meeting. 29 



As the State of Kansas is being developed, new mineral waters are being reported. 

 Springs are discovered, or artesian wells are sunk, often yielding an abundant supply. 



Naturally, the attention of the medical profession is called to these as possible cura- 

 tive agents, and we have reason to believe that as valuable waters may be found here as 

 in neighboring .States. But not only from a medicinal point of view may it he possible 

 to utilize these waters. The industry of salt making already occupies a prominent posi- 

 tion in some sections of the State, and only awaits more capital and the discovery of 

 stronger brines to become of increased importance. We do not know to what extent 

 beds of salt underlie the later rocks of the State. That it may become an important in- 

 dustry here may be gathered from the fact that in the vicinity of Syracuse, X. Y., over 

 9,000,000 bushels of salt are manufactured in a single season. There is certainly a home 

 market for a large quantity of this material. 



In some sections of the country mineral waters are utilized for the manufacture of 

 Borax, of Bromine, and Iodine, and who shall say that even such rare elements as 

 Lithium may not be found in paying quantities? It is well to remember that many 

 substances now counted rare and of little value need but to be cheaply obtained to attain 

 commercial importance. 



While it is still a question whether the State has any extensive mineral deposits, and 

 while we cannot boast of pure soft water, it may be possible in many other ways than 

 these that have heen briefly suggested, to utilize what we have, and thus aid in develop- 

 ing our latent resources. 



<>X THE COMPOSITION OF SOME CULINAKY UTENSILS. 



BY K. H. S. BAILEY. 



Much attention is being paid in this country, and still more abroad, to the subject of 

 food adulteration. Under the supervision of boards of health, elaborate examinations of 

 food products are made, and careful tests are executed for suspected adulterations and 

 falsifications. In the United States, some of the more populous States have enacted laws, 

 and created boards for the special purpose of protecting the people against intentional 

 fraud, and criminal carelessness. It is largely the province of the chemist and the mi- 

 croscopist to conduct these examinations. As our population increases, there is more 

 and more temptation to fraud in this direction, so that ultimately all States must protect 

 their citizen-. 



It often happens that the food itself is of good quality, but becomes poisoned by con- 

 tact with the vessel in which it is cooked. This leads us naturally to direct attention to 

 cooking utensils and their composition. It is generally conceded that iron and tin can 

 be used for many purposes with perfect impunity. There are, however, cheap grades of 

 tin plate that contain a noticeable quantity of lead. M. Fordos, (Contes Kendue, 70, 

 Xo. 12,) cites the results of a series of experiments on such ware. Acetic acid, (1 per 

 cent.,) red wine and lemonade, all contained lead after standing in the vessels for some 

 time. Copper and brass can, with a reasonable amount of cleanliness, be used for many 

 purposes, but should never be employed for heating any acid liquids. It is true that 

 many housewives still recommend heating vinegar for pickles in a copper or brass kettle, 

 because, forsooth, it gives them a "natural green" color. They have yet to learn that 

 the copper compound thus formed is a dangerous poison, even if present in small propor- 

 tions only. The writer had occasion to examine a green pickle for copper, and found fa 

 of a grain of the metal, equal to iof a grain of blue vitriol, in a pickled cucumber weigh- 

 ing a little over two ounces. 



Cooking utensils, made of a soft and porous variety of earthenware, are much used 



