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Issued Deceimber 21, 1908. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY Circular No. 42. 

 H. W. WILEY, Chief of Bureau. 



GENERAL RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATIONS SHOWING THE EFFECT 

 OF FORMALDEHYDE UPON DIGESTION AND HEALTHS 



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INTRODUCTION. 



Formaldehyde is one of those preservatives the use of which in 

 foods has been almost universally condemned by experts, physicians, 

 and the general public. Nevertheless, as formaldehyde has hereto- 

 fore been used to quite an extent in certain foods, especially dairy 

 products, and is still advertised under its own and other names for 

 use in such products to a limited extent, it seemed wise to include 

 this substance in the plan of investigation. 



.Formaldehyde is derived from the first member of the alcohol 

 group, namely, methyl or wood alcohol. Each of the alcohols has 

 an aldehyde corresponding thereto, as, for instance, formaldehyde 

 from methyl alcohol, acetaldehyde derived from ethyl alcohol, which 

 is the ordinary alcohol of commerce, and so on with the other alco- 

 hols. It has been very generally believed that the toxicity of alco- 

 hols, and they are more or less toxic, was greater as the series 

 ascended that is, if methyl or ethyl alcohol is considered as the basis 

 of comparison the toxicity of the higher alcohols (such as butyl, 

 propyl, and amyl) is greater than that of methyl or ethyl alcohol. 

 Following this plan of classification, the toxicity of methyl alcohol 



a By reason of the restrictions placed by law upon the printing and distribution of 

 bulletins exceeding 100 pages, it is not possible to supply the demand for Bulletin 84, 

 Influence of Food Preservatives and Artificial Colors on Digestion and Health, from 

 the regular edition. In order to give as wide a circulation as possible to the results 

 of the experimental work, it has been deemed advisable, in the case of Part V, on 

 Formaldehyde, as in the case of Part I, on Boric Acid and Borates; Part II, on Sali- 

 cylic Acid and Salicylates; Part III, on Sulphurous Acid and Sulphites; and Part IV, 

 on Benzoic Acid and Benzoates (Circulars 15, 31, 37, and 39), to publish the results 

 in the form of a circular for general distribution. 

 61958 Cir. 4208 



